There's Always a Price
by Caliwrighter
Summary: A SWANQUEEN AU tale. An enraged Regina accidentally crosses the city limits and finds herself with no memory of how she ended up in her car on a deserted road in Maine. After arriving in Boston, she witnesses a pregnant Emma Swan attacked and shot on a dirty street in a dangerous neighborhood. The two are fated to meet and only lost memories will reveal the truth of their destiny.
1. There's Always a Price

There is a line that even the evilest of souls do not cross. A blackness that seeps into a void left empty by inconceivable wickedness. Dark magic and a thick fog that lingered around all who kissed the darkness. This was the soul of the Evil Queen. Regina had not always been so callused and cruel. A slow smirk curled her lip upwards as she recalled a time when love and happiness had actually filled her thoughts. Those days were long gone. She had cast the unspeakable spell. Cursed all to an eternity of suffering. Concerned with no one's happiness but her own, she had created the world of Storybrooke. Trapped those who defied her and betrayed her. Imprisoned them in a dark alternate reality that had no resemblance to the life they had known. She was content…. For a brief time.

In the midst of all that she had become, Regina wanted nothing more than a moment's rest. Just one quiet moment that she was not required to react, respond or feel the urge to rip the bloody, beating heart from someone's chest. She paced frantically in her office, dreading her appointment with Gold. She was the still the Queen in so many ways, though none remembered her on the throne, as Mayor of Storybrooke she ruled just the same. But there was one whom she suspected knew her secrets. One person in this god-forsaken town who looked at her with knowing eyes and an evil grin to rival her own. They never discussed it and she never want to question him, but still she knew…. That he knew… the truth of who she was and what she had done.

She hated Gold and wished that she could kill him. No not just kill, she wanted to torture and kill him. He always had this snide, offensive attitude that let you know in his own, self-serving way, that he was one step ahead of everyone else. "Riddle me this dearie. What is soft and hard and destined to spoil all of your plans?" He would then cackle like a mad man, leaving Regina to fume and threaten until he would stop the torment of implying that he knew her secret. It always seemed that he knew exactly how to extract the most blood for any deal he made. And for a price, as was all things with this evil little man, everything had a price. Why she had ever agreed to allow him to assist with the adoption of a child was beyond her own reason. He could not be trusted and he most certainly would twist this to his own advantage as he did with all things. She had somehow anticipated an argument; felt in her bones that he was going to make a demand that would be the breaking point.

He had come to see her to discuss the adoption he had arranged and to tell her his price. He wanted to purchase a piece of property that Regina owned. The Mausoleum that her father rested in was on that land as well as the door to her past lay buried there. "No." She flat out refused. She wanted this child, but she could not sell Gold that property, that would be impossible. When he said '_please_', rage flooded her senses. He knew that she could not sell him that property. She was between a rock and a hard place. She was unable to resist his request and yet when he said '_please_' she was forced into a situation that would force her to relinquish control of that land. She was unable to refuse his 'please' and he knew it. If ever she wished to have her magic returned, it was at this moment. She would have found some painful way to torture and murder this man.

He stood there smiling, knowing her dilemma and deriving great pleasure from the look of anguish on her face. In a mad rage she pushed him roughly, knocking his cane to the floor and sending him flying back into the wall. His laugher echoed as she ran from her office without giving him a response. She could not refuse him and yet, she could not sell him her property, truly a double bind. The frustration burned beneath her skin like a slow building fire as she jumped behind the wheel of her black Mercedes and sped away from the Storybrooke City Hall. A storm exploded in the sky above her, thunder crashing, the night enveloping her as the pounding rain beat the roof of her car. It was truly a reflection of her mood and if the Mayor had not been so certain that she was without magic, there is no doubt this is the kind of storm she would have created in response to the impossible dilemma that Gold had put her in. As she drove out of the city and continued on the dark road that passed through the forest, in her rage, she missed the turnoff to the Mayor's mansion and kept heading directly west. West towards the city limits of Storybrooke, Maine. West towards the invisible line that separated Storybrooke from the rest of the world. The line that kept them hidden and safe and the real world out. The line that, if crossed, would erase all memory of Storybrooke and its residents.

It was a tragic circumstance that she found herself in now. Cast as the villain in this dark story. Regina Mills had not always been the calculating persona that she had become. Once upon a time she had been a girl who laughed and played and loved to ride horses. She had viewed the world though eyes of hope and dreamed of a future filled with love and joy. But an ambitious and calculating mother had managed to rip those qualities from her soul, piece by piece until all that remained was a hollow woman whose only goal was revenge. Her eternal search for happiness was always just beyond her reach, just beyond her ability to seize it and make it her own. She was most certainly a victim of circumstance. Forced into a loveless and cruel marriage after her love had been so evilly taken. That kind of pain has the ability to twist a woman's soul. And it had twisted her heart and soul until all that remained was the Evil Queen who cast the darkest of curses and was now a prisoner of her own devices.

Tears of rage streaked down her face. Gold was insane if he thought that she was going to give him the property that held her father's remains. The property that held her darkest secrets. She kept hearing the echo of his '_please_'. It resonated in her stomach like an ulcer, burning through her flesh. There had to be a way out of this. A way to avoid his request. The darkness swallowed her, the car's headlights only revealing a few feet of road at a time. In her blind rage and with minimal visibility, Regina's only realization that she had passed through the invisible barrier that protected Storybrooke from prying eyes was a brief moment of adrenaline that rushed through her body as she crossed the invisible line. For a brief moment, fear gripped her as the realization of what she had done registered in her brain. And then just as quickly, it was gone and the dark haired woman in the black Mercedes found herself on a dark stretch of highway without any memory of who she was or where she had come from.

Confusion clouded her senses and she quickly pulled off of the road. The rain had stopped as soon as she had passed through the barrier and the night was left chilled, but clear. She pushed open the car door and jumped out, looking in both directions up and down the deserted road. Where was she? How did she get here? And most importantly, who was she? There was nothing but trees and the sound of the night animals as they settled into the deserted darkness around her. A chill flushed her skin and she quickly got back into the car and locked the doors. She saw her purse on the seat beside her and quickly pulled out her wallet. Her name was Regina Mills, and she lived in Storybrooke, Maine. There was nothing remotely familiar about that name or that location. She was distraught with confusion. How could she just suddenly appear on an abandoned road with no memory of getting here? She looked in the wallet and was relieved to find that she had plenty of cash and several credit cards. She slowly put the car in gear and pulled onto the road. Without any sense of direction, she continued towards an unknown destination.

It was breaking dawn when she arrived in Boston. The city was big and dirty and confusing. She wasn't sure how much of a credit limit her cards had, but from the way she was dressed and the looks of her Mercedes, she assumed that she could afford to stay in a decent hotel. Her stomach growled with hunger, when had she last eaten? What she liked to eat? Even without a memory, the body had its own needs and insisted upon food and rest. On her right she spotted a relatively upscale hotel. Once she had a room she would order room service and dig through her purse for more clues. She could not have simply appeared out of nowhere. Once she was nourished and rested, someone here could surely direct her back towards and this place called Storybrooke, Maine.

The brunette was exhausted. It was as if every inch of her skin had been stripped from her body and then stretched back over her bones in an ill fitting, hurried, frenzy. She felt out of sorts, every thought just leading to a dozen new questions. Who was Regina Mills? After checking into the hotel, she was led to her room in a haze. She confirmed that she was indeed in Boston, but no one seemed to have an idea of where that was in relation to Storybrooke, Maine. The Hotel manager had eyed her suspiciously when she checked in without luggage. That evidently was not the norm in this type of establishment. Regina told him that she was traveling and had been robbed of her possessions. She wasn't sure that he actually believed her, but it was a fairly plausible circumstance and so he simply nodded as he took her driver's license and credit card. It was only after running the card and confirming her credit worthiness that a smile appeared on his face.

Regina wasn't sure what her credit limit was, but evidently it was enough to satisfy this man's doubts and allow her to rent a room in his hotel. He assured her that he would send housekeeping to her room with all of the essentials she needed and once she was rested he would send a personal shopper to assess her clothing needs. How high of a credit limit did she have on that card? And there were three other cards tucked away neatly in her wallet, at least she wouldn't have to worry about food and shelter at the moment. She didn't want to confess that she was a woman without a memory. Even without any self-knowledge, she had enough sense of self to know that she did not like to be perceived as vulnerable in any way. No, who ever Regina Mills was, one thing she was not, and that was a push over. She would not give anyone insight to her current predicament.

It was a strange sensation to have no memory of ones self. She was an empty vessel, completely blank of any history. She had obviously remembered how to drive; she'd managed to get herself from the middle of nowhere to the city of Boston, without an accident. She remembered how to read and write and do all of the basic necessities. She remembered everything…. Except for who the hell was Regina Mills? After sleeping the day and night away, she awoke the next morning, groggy, but rested. She showered and slipped into the thick, terrycloth robe that was provided by the hotel. She ordered room service and shortly afterward was greeted by a personal shopper who came to her room, measured her for exact size, made notes of suggested colors and styles and promised to return quickly with Regina's new wardrobe. Within a brief time after finishing her meal, the shopper returned with an incredible variety of clothing. Regina was impressed that everything seemed to fit her well and she was once more dressed in a style that she was sure was how she would have dressed if she did remember what she liked to wear. Sleek and stylish, tailored slacks and skirts with professional jackets to mix and match. Underwear, bras, nylons and several selections of shoes. She examined herself in the full-length mirror and gave a saucy grin, to the chagrin of many; she would not be wandering the halls naked thanks to her own personal little shopper. Her critical eye examined every inch of skin from head to toe. She leaned forward and briefly wondered how she had gotten that scar above lip.

Finally content with her attire, She sat at the desk in the room and emptied out her purse. Somewhere in the randomness of this bag, the secret of who exactly Regina Mills was had to be lurking. She evidently kept receipts, there seemed to be several from a place called 'Granny's' and two from the 'Storybrooke City Hall Cafeteria'. She evidently liked Turkey sandwiches, no mayo, and light mustard. There were no photos in her wallet. Was there no one in her life? No family? She examined her keys, looked to be the usual, house, office, and car. One peculiar key was a skull's head. She wrinkled her brow and wondered what on earth that could open? Realization suddenly hit her and she snatched up her cell phone. Why hadn't she thought of this before? Scrolling through the list of names in the phone book none of them even hinted at a glimpse of familiarity. It didn't matter, with a deep inhale and exhale she hit 'call' for the first name and number of the list. "We're sorry, but the number you have reached is no longer in service." What? She continued a quick and random click on to each number listed. They all had the same result. "We're sorry, but he number you have reached is no longer in service." That was not only infuriating, but it was impossible. How could every single number in her phone be out of service? In frustration she threw the phone across the room, fortunately it landed on the bed without out any damage. Was this some kind of cosmic joke? Regina Mills had not just appeared out of nowhere on an empty road in Maine!

She hadn't realized how much time had passed and she needed to get out of the small confines. There was no listing of Storybrooke, Maine anywhere. She needed to purchase a laptop and track it down herself. She would drive back in the direction she had come from and just search for clues if she had to. She slipped on her heels and grabbed her room key and purse. She needed to feel a part of something because right now she was feeling as if she didn't exist at all. It relieved her nerves to step off of the elevator and hear the hushed voices and muted conversations that were going on around her. She walked out of the hotel into the cool night air and inhaled deeply. She was hungry for something familiar, yet everything around her was foreign and distant. The valet brought her car around and she slid into the leather seat and sighed. This felt familiar. This car was all she had that connected her to her past. If only it could talk. A mechanical voice came from the speaker as she turned the key. "Please enter destination address." The GPS startled her, she had no idea where she was going. She needed a laptop. There must be a million places that sold computers. She pulled out of the Hotel driveway and headed east. It was as good a direction as any.


	2. The Wrong Place at the Right Time

Red….blue…green…red…blue….green…. the color rotation never changed. It was hypnotic as the neon light that flashed on the liquor sign across the street almost put her into a trance. One of the bulbs was out or there would have been a yellow flash in the rotation of the colors. Emma Swan sat on the floor, elbows propped up on the windowsill as she watched the rain wash away the first layer of dirt from the impoverished street below. She wanted a drink… bad. Very bad. But just before her release, the prison doctor had told her that alcohol would be very unhealthy for the baby. She played with a cigarette that she held tightly between her lips, not lighting it, but unwilling to give it up. This kid was three months away from being born and he was already giving her a hard time. No smoking, no drinking… this pregnancy thing sucked.

From somewhere in the distant darkness the blonde heard a gunshot. The deafening bang echoed eerily and reaffirmed Emma's decision to place her baby up for adoption. She swallowed hard. Angry at the injustice of the whole freaking world. She knew not to trust anyone, ever. She had been found as a newborn, abandoned along the side of a road. Raised in a Foster Care system that was designed to destroy a child's self-worth and tossed out on to the street when she was eighteen, with a backpack that held two changes of clothes, a toothbrush, and a baby blanket with her name embroidered on it, the one she'd been found in and a box of tampons. In her pocket was two hundred dollars cash and a referral to a transitional home for teens. She had blown off the referral and bought a bus ticket to Boston. She'd always wanted to go to Boston.

Bone chilling winters and balmy summers had suited her perfectly. She lived on the streets, working here and there to earn a few dollars, but mostly stealing what she needed and finding shelter where she could at night. Something she had never told anyone was that she had actually sold herself once, for a warm bed. It had been a sub-zero night, the wind-chill factor hovered at 30 degrees below zero and she had not had a meal in two days. Desperation will make a person do crazy things. When the dark haired man in the shiny Mercedes had slowed down and offered the young teen a ride, she had only hesitated for a minute before opening the passenger door and climbing in.

He had not been unkind to her. Rented a room in a decent motel, fed her and laid her, then left a hundred dollar bill lying on the nightstand as he pulled on his pants and left without a backward glance. She had laid there until nearly time for checkout, thinking that she could not reach a much lower point in her life than this moment. She had finally crawled out of bed, showered and reluctantly picked up the hundred-dollar bill and shoved it into the pocket of her dirty jeans. She could not wipe away the dirtiness that crawled across her skin. She vowed that she would freeze to death before she would ever sell her body again. It had been that experience that prompted her to steal the yellow Volkswagen two months later. If she had a car, she could escape the cold. It was a small car, one that she thought the owner would be able to easily replace. She had no idea that the simple act of stealing a car would set her life on a much more aggressive downhill spiral.

Neal had been fun and charming and had actually seemed to care about her. It was a whole new world for Emma. Never in her life had she met anyone who had developed genuine feelings for her. As she had matured, there had been plenty who had wanted sex, but none who had honestly professed their love. She had thought that Neal was different. Believed that he loved her. They planned a future together and then it all came crashing down on her head when he abandoned her and left her alone, holding stolen property… and pregnant. She'd gotten a six-month jail sentence at the local women's prison, but had been released after four months for good behavior. She'd been given a referral to this roach infested halfway house and the key to her yellow bug. Neal had at least left her with the car and a clean registration for it.

She felt a heavy kick in her stomach and doubled over for a minute to absorb the pain. She was confident it was a boy. She was going to see the doctor tomorrow who would confirm. She pushed herself up from the floor, swollen stomach and swollen ankles made the simple act more difficult. She opened a pizza box to claim her final slice, but saw that the roaches had found it first. The rain left the room muggy and hot, air-conditioning only a thing of fantasies. She made her way to the kitchen sink, washed out her plate and cup, then washed her underwear and bra and hung it on a line that she had strung across the kitchen. She had talked to the doctor about putting her baby up for adoption. Tears swelled in her eyes as she thought about it. She hated the idea of giving away the one person who would truly belong to her. Selfishly she had wanted to keep him. She could give him love if nothing else. But she knew that would not be enough feed a hungry stomach. She wanted this kid to have his best chance, even if that was not with her.

She had spoken to the attorney who was arranging her adoption with an unknown man on the phone and the man on the phone who was making the adoption arrangement for the unknown parents. She didn't like that everything was being arranged so secretly. She had asked for a closed adoption, but this felt sleazy somehow. The man on the phone who kept calling her 'dearie', his words filled with condescension. But her attorney and doctor had assured her that the adoption arrangement he was making was the best for her and her child. This unknown, Mr. Gold, was the man speaking on behalf of an adoptive mother who was well off and would take excellent care of her child. "I want to meet her." Emma stated emphatically. "I won't sign anything until she comes here and meets me. Just once I need to look in her eyes and I need to know that she will love my baby. Not just care for him. But love him." "That's impossible, dearie." The Mr. Gold had said, his voice almost a cackle on the phone. "This woman is a very important person. She doesn't have time for these kinds of games. I can assure you that the child will go to the best possible home."

"Well then I guess we don't have a deal." Emma said abruptly as she was about to hang up the phone. She was calling his bluff. He knew exactly what she was doing. She could almost see his smirk and beady eyes as he spoke into the telephone, his breath heavy as he measured his words. "Well played Miss Swan." His voice made Emma feel creepy and she wanted a shower. She stood there looking at the doctor, waiting for this 'Mr. Gold' to give his response. "Fine." He stated, his voice relaying his impatience. "I'll arrange for you to meet her. It will be a brief meeting and your questions will be limited. You wanted a closed adoption and that means that you get no information on her identity. Is that understood?" "Understood." Emma responded with defiance. She would ask any damn question she wanted. This was her kid and she wasn't handing him over until she felt comfortable with the arrangement."

Emma had walked out of that meeting with the doctor and the invisible Mr. Gold, and puked into the bushes just outside the door. She had not suffered much with morning sickness, but this whole adoption thing made her sick. She leaned back against the brick wall of the building and wiped her mouth off with her sleeve. She slid her arm across her stomach; the baby was moving about and pushing against her ribs. "Quiet down, kid." She groaned as she licked her dry lips and rubbed her stomach in an effort to sooth his anxiety. No doubt he was probably feeling her tension. She took a few deep breaths, forcing herself and the baby to relax, and then headed to the bus stop to catch the number 57 back into Mattapan, a Boston neighborhood that only the bravest dared walk… or the most desperate. And that was Emma Swan, a desperate 18-year-old woman who was now on the verge of making what was sure to be her biggest mistake to date. She'd considered an abortion; the prison had offered to arrange it. She had tossed and turned and cried until she was well past her first trimester and finally decided on keeping it. Then not keeping it. Then keeping it again. And now adopting him out.

She had been back and forth twice to see her doctor since that last irritable conversation with, but no further word from the mysterious Mr. Gold. Maybe they were going to call off the deal? She was once more back on the number 57 and headed back to her roach infested hovel. She had refused any money for herself in this deal. That would have made her feel like she was 'selling' her baby and that was just wrong. But as the dirty, crime ridden streets of her neighborhood came into view, she groaned and briefly thought about the stupidity of denying that financial assistance.

The bus ride was long, giving her time to think and try and make some kind of decisions about her future. After the baby was born she needed to get her shit together. A voice in her head repeated that over and over again. She just couldn't quite figure out what that meant. The rain had stopped and left everything feeling cleaner. As Emma stepped off of the bus, she avoided stepping in wet garbage that had blown up onto the sidewalk. At least the stench of the neighborhood had been temporarily washed away. She couldn't help wonder who this woman was that wanted to adopt her baby. A woman of means, obviously. Old? Ugly? Why wasn't she just having her own baby? Emma hoped that Mr. Gold was not involved in any way except for making the arrangements. That man gave her the creeps. She'd always had a sixth sense when it came to determining when someone was lying. It had actually kept her safe on more than one occasion. With Gold, she just couldn't tell what his story was. And that worried her. She felt dishonesty about him, but she could not really read him. Something felt… off. And that was why she had demanded to meet the adoptive mother. She just needed assurances that she wasn't handing her baby over to some weird cult that was going to raise him to worship Mr. Gold and let him have twelve wives.

She had been lost in thought and not paying attention when an arm suddenly wrapped around her throat from behind and a gun was pressed to her back. _"Just walk like nothin' is happenin' sweet thing and you gonna be alright." _ The voice was male, deep and intoxicated. His breath burned her skin; it was hot and putrid and made her want to throw up. _"Really?"_ Emma asked through a choked voice. _"Is this really what you're going with here? You know I'm pregnant and about to puke on your shoes."_ Without further warning, she threw up. _"Awww… bitch."_ The man screamed as he jumped back, disgusted and furious. He looked at her through red eyes and a haggard face that looked like he had fought many battles, and lost them all. _"You a freakin' nasty bitch."_ He screamed just as he pointed the gun at her. _"No."_ Emma screamed, wrapping her arms around her middle and bending over to protect her belly. A loud bang echoed in her ears as a searing hot pain ripped through the flesh of her shoulder. She fell forward in a fetal position, still doing her best to protect the baby as consciousness ebbed and flowed.

It was not surprising when forty-five minutes later, Regina found herself lost and in a part of town where no sane person would venture to walk the streets alone. Regina pulled to the curb and switched on her GPS, she was just about to enter the hotel address and head back to her starting point when she noticed an attractive and very pregnant blonde get off of a bus. She was obviously young and not very bright if she was putting herself in a position to be walking alone in this neighborhood. Regina sat there mesmerized, drawn to the woman for some unexplainable reason. Without even being aware of his approach, a man grabbed the blonde and was obviously forcing her to go with him. Regina swallowed hard, her heart racing, blood pounding in her head. Her mouth went dry as she grabbed her cell phone and dialed 911.

Her words were spewed in a panic as she explained what was happening, her eyes frantically darting around to relay her location. Just as she hung up the phone and opened the door of her car, it was too late and she saw the man shoot the pregnant woman. Watched her limp body hit the pavement. She had no idea where the ability came from or even how to define it, but with speed she was unaware of possessing, she sprinted as quickly as high heels would permit, and reached the man before he could refocus and aim the gun at her. "Sick bastard." She hissed under her breath as she reached into his chest and ripped his beating heart from his body. Her lips curled in pure evil as she crushed it and allowed the black ash to sift between her fingers and fall to the ground, mixing with the young woman's blood in the dirty cracks of the sidewalk. Regina stared in awe of what she had done. She had no words or thoughts to even define what had just happened. She heard the ambulance sirens in the distance as she watched the man she had just killed, hit the ground.

Emma thought she saw someone approach. The pain was too much to allow her to open her eyes more than a sliver. She heard the tapping of heels and a loud thump of something hitting the ground. Through her barely opened eyes she watched her blood mix with the dirt, dark red and sticky as it clung to her clothing and hair. She tried to move, but the pain shot through her like another bullet. She screamed in a desperate voice, unsure of just how long she laid there before finally hearing the siren of an ambulance drawing close and stopping. She lost awareness just as they picked her up and put her on the stretcher. "_My baby."_ Emma managed to whisper through parched lips before she lost all consciousness.

Regina turned quickly and knelt beside the woman on the ground, gently touching her face. "_You'll be ok."_ She whispered through a clenched jaw as the woman's weak voice whispered concern for her child.


	3. Something for the Pain

The next awareness Emma Swan had was waking up in the hospital. Her right shoulder and arm hurt like a bitch and had been immobilized. _"Where am I?"_ she tried to ask, though the words stuck in a dry throat. A nurse came to her side adjusting tubes and wetting her lips with a swab. _"I'm glad you're awake."_ She smiled as if that was a part of what she was paid to do. _"We'll need some information from you. What is your name?"_ _"Emma Swan."_ She whispered, her throat and mouth sticking from dryness. _"Water."_ She said and was given a small sip, enough to get her saliva working again. A doctor came to her bedside and smiled down at her. _"You are a very lucky girl."_ He winked. _"The bullet went clean through the shoulder. There does not appear to be any permanent damage and your baby is fine." _ A wave of relief washed over Emma as she nodded and drifted back to sleep.

She wasn't sure how long she had been sleeping when she woke again, but she was hungry and stiff from immobility. She attempted to get up when a nurse ran over and held her in place. "You can't get up, Miss Swan. Let me know what you need." Emma growled with frustration. If she found the man who did this, she was going to inflict serious injury on him. Of that she was positive. Suddenly that became her goal in life. Track down the asshole and hurt him… bad. Suddenly she heard her cell phone ringing in her bag. Where was her bag? "Get me my bag." She demanded. The nurse opened a locker and brought the bag over. Reaching in and grabbing her phone she answered and heard Mr. Gold's voice.

_"Miss Swan? I'm sorry to say that there will be a delay in arranging this meeting with the adoptive mother." He hesitated almost as if he were holding back a laugh. "It seems that she had to go away on a business trip. But I will be back in touch as soon as she returns. Have a nice day Em-ma." _He smacked his lips as he said her name and it gave the injured woman a chill. Emma sighed with relief, the last thing she needed now was a meeting with those two. She looked over and caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror. Blood was still caked in her hair and she looked as if she had been run over by a bus. She shoved her phone back in her bag and leaned back. At least this delay was certainly in her favor. One look at her now and any perspective mother would be immediately scared off.

Seriously, could this situation get any worse? Emma attempted to shift in the bed and yelped out in pain. _"Damn."_ She cursed under her breath. She wanted pain meds. Lots of them. She buzzed the nurse who came in with a sweet, condescending smile on her face and asked how she could help. _"Drugs, damn it" _ the blonde growled in a threatening voice. _"Morphine, codeine, something that will make me not want to chew my arm off because of pain."_ The nurse poured a cup of water and handed Emma four Tylenol tablets. "_Tylenol? Are you freaking kidding me? Did you put a band-aide on the bullet hole?"_ "_Now Miss Swan, the doctor discussed this with you. Unfortunately, because of your baby, we can't give you narcotics. That could be very detrimental. You don't want to hurt your baby now do you?" _ Emma glared at the nurse. Did she really have to answer that question? She swallowed the pills and leaned back in the bed. Within a few minutes the Tylenol managed to take the edge off of the pain, but a dull, deep throbbing ache pulsed on the right side of her body.

She hated her life at this moment… well most of the time. Hell, who was she kidding, she hated her life all the time. Some moments just sucked a little less than others. But this experience was definitely going to the top of her 'suckiest moments' list. She had been seriously injured once; she had been hitchhiking and took a ride with the wrong guy. When he tried to get familiar with her, she had leapt out of a moving vehicle. Not the smartest thing she'd ever done. Cracked a rib, broke three fingers and given herself a concussion. The jackass had just kept driving. Fortunately she'd made it to an emergency room that fixed her up and she was able to sneak out before begin confronted about the bill. She groaned out loud. The Bill! How the hell was she going to pay for this hospital stay?

Her head hurt. The baby kicked her rib and she rubbed her stomach in an effort to sooth him. It was the first moment she'd had to really feel grateful that he was ok. He liked to curl up high in her stomach; she suspected he liked the comfort of her beating heart. She imagined that she would have liked that experience with her mother, if she had ever known who her mother was. She didn't let her self think about it much, but being pregnant had brought about so many random thoughts. She wondered if her mother had been in the same position that Emma herself was in? Pregnant and abandoned, no money and no way to care for her child. If things were different, if she wasn't broke, alone, eighteen and stupid with a history of falling for the wrong guys, she knew that she might just be tempted to keep him. But she wasn't about to put an innocent kid through the hell that was her life these days. Getting shot was proof of that.

Suddenly, she wanted to run. Just slip out of bed, grab her things and run. She didn't know where or even how she'd get there. She had exactly one hundred and fourteen dollars in her bank account, one hundred of which was owed for rent this week. She had delayed paying it and knew that she risked being evicted, but choosing between food and shelter sometimes was not an easy call. Besides, she didn't want to go back to that roach trap anyway. Her probation forbid her leave the state, but screw that. She could be long gone before they even knew she was missing. As the nurse finished her care of Emma she smiled and chirped, "You're healing remarkably well Miss Swan. Very impressive. Oh and I almost forgot. You have a visitor."


	4. Pride Comes Before a Fall

Regina had stood on that dirty street long after the ambulance sped away with the injured blonde. Long after the coroner came and claimed the dead man who lay crumpled on the sidewalk. She had told the police most of the truth, she saw the man attack the woman and she had been the one to call 911. The part of the story that she omitted was the small detail about ripping the man's heart from his chest and crushing it in her hand. It was a profound memory, and one of the few that she could call upon with any kind of clarity. She had killed a man with such ease and quickness that she herself was left in stunned awe of the experience. She briefly wondered what the coroner would think when they autopsied the man and found him missing a heart? He looked like a homeless derelict; she doubted they would put much investigation into the anomaly. Though it was not something that Regina would soon forget. Of all of the things to discover about herself, the heart crushing skill was one she could have done without.

When the pregnant blonde woman was lifted onto the gurney and wheeled towards the ambulance, Regina couldn't help gasping for just a moment as she stared into the angelic face. There was blood everywhere and she feared that it might be the last time she saw this woman. She wasn't sure why that bothered her, but it did.

"That's all we need." The cop had dismissed her once he felt she was no longer useful. "We'll be in touch if we need more information."

Regina Mills had been a woman in the wrong place at the right time. She was confused and horrified by the day's events and realized as the street cleared and the sun began to set, this was not where she wanted to be after dark. She hurried back to her car and quickly locked the doors and started the engine. With a quick glance around the dirty and dilapidated street, she gave a fleeting thought as to the sadness of the young woman who was shot, living under suck stark and impoverished conditions. Where was her husband? Boyfriend? She had obviously not gotten herself pregnant, someone had to be out there who cared about this girl!

The hotel manager greeted her like royalty upon her return to the hotel. She could not stand to be 'fawned' over, she found it repulsive.

"So exactly how high is my credit limit on that card I gave you dear?" She had asked with obvious disdain. She was not in the mood to be trailed after; she simply wanted to be alone. She had needed to process the day's events.

"Why Miss Mills, there is no limit on your card. So whatever you need, you simply let us know." No limit? Well that explained his behavior, but it certainly made her more curious about her own origins. Who the hell was Regina Mills? Obviously someone with a lot of freaking money.

"Well then, why don't you run off and get me a lap top. Top of the line, whatever you recommend." She had smiled at him with obvious contempt. The one mission she'd had on this day, to purchase a computer, had failed. He bowed and set off to the task. She curled her lip in disgust and quickly made her way up to her room. Upon return to her room she quickly stripped down and jumped into the shower in an effort to get the stench of the day off of her skin. But no amount of hot water could clear the memory of what had happened. And most of all she could not clear the image of the blonde from her thoughts. Who was this unfortunate girl?

It had been a restless night with little sleep. She awoke to the knocking on the door and the delivery of her new Apple Powerbook. "Lovely." She replied as she took the box from the bellboy's hands and closed the door in his face. She did not see his surprise or the offense on his face at her rudeness. But he knew not to complain. She was obviously an important guest and a tip wasn't worth losing his job. Just as he turned to retreat down the hall, Regina pulled the door open again and called him back.

"Come in here." She instructed, handing him the box. "Set it up. Get me connected to the Internet. Have it finished by the time I'm dressed." The young man stood staring at the brunette. She was breathtakingly beautiful, which is probably what allowed her to get away with being such a bitch. "Yes ma'am." Was his only response as he opened the box and went about setting up her new computer.

Hours later, frustrated and distracted, Regina slammed the top of the laptop closed and grabbed her purse. She could not find a damn thing about 'Storybrooke, Maine'. It simply didn't exist. And she could not get the injured blonde out of her thoughts. She had to at least know if she survived. It had been three days. Were she and the baby all right? The lap top had a least been useful in telling her the local hospitals, a few phone calls and a few twists of the truth implying that she was a relative and Regina had located one Miss Emma Swan.

…

The Brunette paced the hall outside of Emma's room. The nurse had instructed her to wait until she was finished with the patient and then she would be ready to receive a visitor. What the hell was she doing? She didn't know this woman. She had obviously survived her gunshot wound. What other information did she need?

Just as she turned to make a quick retreat, the patient's door opened and Regina could see a scared young girl curiously looking to see whom her visitor was. Emma was trying not to let the look of obvious surprise play on her face for too long. But who the hell would be visiting her? She had no family. No one even knew she was here. "Miss Swan." The brunette stepped hesitantly into the room.

"Do I know you?" Emma asked curiously? Then it hit Emma that this woman with her tailored suit was probably with the hospital's billing department. The doctor had mentioned that they were going to release her soon and that someone would be by to discuss arrangements for paying her bill. Medicaid was covering the pregnancy costs but she wasn't sure if that included gunshot wounds. "You here to talk about the bill? Look. I'm sure this whole hospital stay costs a lot of money. I'll pay what I owe just as soon as I have this kid and can get back to work." Right about now Emma Swan was kicking herself for not taking money from the adoptive mother as Mr. Gold had offered. What was that saying? "_Pride comes before a fall?_" Well Emma was about ready to fall flat on her face. She had tried to get a job after getting out of jail, but it seemed that most employers had filled their quota of pregnant ex-cons and no one wanted to hire her.

"No, Miss Swan." The Brunette cleared her throat and mentally kicked herself for coming here. " My name is Regina Mills." The name did not roll easily off of the brunette's tongue. It tasted foreign, but it was the name on the driver's license with her picture, so it's the name she was going with. "I was there when you were assaulted." Regina nodded towards her bandaged shoulder. "I was the one who called 911. I just wanted to ensure that you were doing well. Which I can see that you are and I should probably go." Just as Regina turned to leave, Emma called out. "No. Please. Don't leave." The blonde had absolutely zero skills when it came to showing appreciation. She'd had very little to appreciate in her life and therefore had never really learned to say, Thank you.

Especially not to someone like this who was so far out of her league. Regina Mills was… beautiful… breathtaking and carried herself like royalty. Emma immediately became self-conscious of how frightening she must look. Though she had been washed and dressed with a clean gown at some point since her arrival, her hair had not been washed and was still caked with blood where she had laid on the sidewalk before the ambulance had arrived. Emma futilely tried to comb her fingers with her hair, but they stuck in the matted blonde strands and so she gave up. She adjusted the bed so that she was in her full upright position, grimacing with pain as she shifted body. She was not one to let on that anything was wrong and would probably never have mentioned this incident to anyone. But lying here in the hospital with her arm in a sling and looking like death warmed over made it impossible to deny the situation.

She finally took her eyes from the woman's face, briefly scanning her body and then giving a half smile and mumbled the words "Thank you. They told me that I might have died if you hadn't been there and called for help." Regina shrugged, uncomfortable with the praise. "I simply did what any law abiding citizen would have done." Somewhere inside she cringed when the term 'law abiding' passed her lips. For some reason that term did not seem to fit the brunette. "Just the same, I appreciate it." Emma nodded, wondering why this woman made her so damn nervous. There was an unexplainable tension between them. It was not that of two strangers who had nothing to say to one another. It was more like two lost souls who had an eternity to share, but could not find the beginning of a nonlinear story. Both sensed a familiarity that they could not define or explain. And both were equally terrified of knowing the truth about themselves or the other.


	5. You're Coming With Me

There was a piece of the air-conditioning system that had a loose part somewhere. The continuous buzz… buzz… registered somewhere in Emma's subconscious and it was annoying the crap out her. She shifted slightly and groaned. The pain made her irritable, more irritable than usual. And she needed a shower really badly. That was the first thing on her agenda as soon as she was allowed. All of these distractions could not shift her focus from the woman who sat three feet away. Prim, proper, elegant, sensuous, beautiful and articulate. All adjectives that came to mind as Emma listened to her voice, the blonde's infatuation growing with each passing second. She had never really found herself attracted to a woman before, not like this anyway. It wasn't abhorrent to her, just a mental adjustment. A slight perfumed scent passed under Emma's nose and made her want to lean forward, listen more carefully. Her eyes traced the sensuous curve of the brunette's neck, sliding down to the unbuttoned blouse, revealing just a hint of what lie beneath the material. For a brief moment Emma forgot about the pain in her shoulder and the swell of her pregnant belly and was simply lost in the company of someone so different from anyone that she had ever met.

When the nurse entered and began to prattle on about her having a friend and needing help when she was released, Emma would have seriously slapped the woman if she had been able to get a good swing in motion without further hurting her injured arm. Her face flushed pink with embarrassment, she did not even know this woman and here the nurse was sharing her personal business. She would definitely have to run now as soon as she was released from this hellhole. _"Would you give us some privacy please?"_ Emma glared at the nurse, imagining death rays piercing the woman's brain and killing her on the spot.

_"__Honey you can't be shy about asking for help."_ The nurse insisted as she attempted to straighten up Emma's sheets. "_Girl in your position, no daddy for your baby and having just been mugged and shot on the street, needs a little help from her friends. Isn't that right?"_ The nurse asked Regina. "_Get out now. Please."_ Emma growled under her breath. The nurse shrugged and turned around and left. Emma was embarrassed to look over at the woman who had now taken a seat next to the bed. Why was her heart racing so fast? This woman made her nervous. She heard Regina asking if she had someone to 'stick around' as the nurse had suggested. Of course she didn't. Emma had been on her own since birth. But she would never acknowledge that.

_"__I'm fine."_ She responded, finally looking back in to the Woman's deep, dark eyes. They were mesmerizing. Emma imagined that this was a woman who got whatever she wanted when she wanted it. Who could refuse her? The pain in Emma's arm was keeping her on the edge of crazy. "_I don't need help. This was stupid. I wasn't paying attention. I won't make that mistake again."_ And she knew that she wouldn't. Not when there were so many others mistakes she had yet to make.

Regina nodded without comment. She was at a loss for what to say. This girl obviously had no one. She was on her own and pregnant. For God's sake, how on earth does someone allow themselves to get into that kind of position? It was not Regina's problem. She had enough to worry about. With every breath she was terrified that someone was going to realize that she was a fraud. She had no idea if she was real or if she was the victim of some cosmic joke. She had to find her way home. She needed her memory back for Christ's sake. A woman could not simply wander aimlessly without a home or knowledge of who she was. Though it seemed that Emma Swan had made it a lifestyle choice. Even without a memory, Regina knew that was not her style. Sooner or later those credit card bills were going to come due and she would be left without resources or any sense of security. Right now she needed to simply care for herself and get as far away from Emma Swan as possible, but she stayed for a while and they talked and she found herself captivated and interested and suddenly she knew that she had to leave. "_All right Miss Swan, it was lovely to meet you and I do wish you well. I have a full agenda with many demands on my time and an important meeting that I must get to_."

Emma had been following every word that Regina spoke until her abrupt final statements. Regina was lying about something. The words snapping Emma out of her girl-crush. If there was one thing in the world that Emma Swan was skilled with, it was detecting lies. She really was a human lie detector and as the brunette spoke of having a full agenda and many demands on her time. Emma's bullshit meter registered it's highest level. The blonde pulled back as her eyes squinted. Suddenly the veil of infatuation was torn down and while Emma could not deny her yet remaining attraction for the woman, she was no longer lost in a fog of some perceived fairytale princess who had just entered her room. No, this woman was no royal Queen. While beautiful and sophisticated beyond anyone Emma had ever known, she was definitely hiding something important.

Regina smiled nervously. She felt exposed as if Emma could read her thoughts. As if the blonde knew her secrets. Had they met before? Regina would never even know if that were the case. She had to get away quickly. Something about this woman made her uneasy. "_Good bye Miss Swan. Take Care." "Good-bye Regina. Thank you again._" Emma suddenly felt very alone as the brunette turned to leave.

Before Regina could make her exit, the doctor and nurse entered the room. The doctor excused himself and pulled the curtain around Emma's bed, blocking out the view while he examined Emma's wound. Unfortunately the sound was not muted and Emma was sure that Regina could hear her yelps and groans as the doctor examined the wound. "_Looks good Emma. No sign of infection and you seem to be healing quickly. Good girl."_ He was a little too patronizing for Emma's preference but she let it slide. She had always been a fast healer, for that she was grateful. The nurse bandaged the wound and the doctor pushed the curtain back as the nurse refastened Emma's gown. "_Well it looks like you're all set to go._" The doctor nodded as he wrote out his orders. "_We'll give you a prescription for extra strength Tylenol and prenatal vitamins. The nurse will explain the care instruction for the wound. I want to see you in my office in two weeks. Any questions_?" Emma had a million questions, but none of them made their way past her lips. Regina wasn't sure why she had remained in the room for the examination. Perhaps just wanting to reassure herself that Emma would be all right. The doctor turned to look at Regina. "Are you taking her home? The nurse will instruct you on wound care." "_No._" Both Emma and Regina exclaimed simultaneously. "_I was just visiting_." Regina stammered. "_Take Care. Miss Swan_." With a final nod, the brunette mad a quick exit and headed for the elevator. A profound sense of loss settled over Emma as the door closed with a swift click. She inhaled deeply and let it go. Being alone was not a new situation for the blonde, though she could not remember ever missing someone that she had just met.

Regina impatiently pushed the elevator button, "_Come on damnit_." She hissed under her breath. Emma Swan was not her responsibility. She had way more on her plate than she could deal with at this time. So why did it feel as if she had just walked away from someone really important in her life? The elevator opened and closed again as Regina stood there, unmoving and confused. "Damnit! She cursed again as she turned and walked back in to Emma's room. "_Have we ever met before?_" She asked the blonde? Emma attempted to hide her surprise at Regina's sudden reappearance. "_I don't think so_." She responded, the question obviously confusing her. "_Why_?" "_I don't know_." Regina shook her head in obvious frustration. "_But for whatever reason, I can't simply leave you here to be discharged and sent back on a bus to that hell hole you just came from_." Emma's pride once more kicked in and forced a knee jerk response. "_You don't even know me._ _I'll be fine. I don't need anyone to take care of me._" Regina snorted and refrained from rolling her eyes in response to Emma's statement. "_Of course you don't, dear. But I want to help. I need to help._" The brunette's words faltered as she spoke. "_I'll wait for your release and then you're coming with me._" She nodded as if her words were final and then stepped into the hall and exhaled deeply. What on earth had she just done?


	6. You can call me Emma

Emma Swan resented needing anyone for anything. She was fiercely independent and would rather have an appendage removed than admit weakness. Regina Mills wasn't sure what her history of being a '_do-gooder_' was, but it did not feel like a natural course of action for her. What the hell was she going to do with a penniless, pregnant teenager? She sighed heavily as she pulled out of the hospital parking lot. Emma rolled her eyes as she leaned back against the passenger seat headrest and gritted her teeth. She should have guessed that a woman like Regina would be driving a Mercedes. She had never even seen a Mercedes up close before, much less rode in one. "_Just take me home, please_." Emma's words were short; her shoulder hurt like a bitch and the kid was kicking her ribs like they were a football. She was a mess and all she wanted to do was crawl into a corner in her little roach infested room and be left alone. "_You can't stay alone right now. Is there someone at 'home', who can help you keep that wound clean? Cook for you? Get your prescriptions filled? Accompany you to the doctor_?"

"_Just stop_." Emma's voice was angry. "_You think I wasn't taking care of myself before you showed up?" "Not very well, evidently_." Regina's response filled with sarcasm. "_Just stop the car and let me out_." Emma demanded." Regina clenched her jaw. She was tempted to do just that. Put this girl on the curb and be done with this mess. But instead she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "_I'm going to take you to your apartment so that you can gather what ever personal effects you require and then I'm taking you back to my hotel where I will get a room for you and you may recover until you are healed and able to care for yourself. That is what I said I was going to do and that is what I intend on doing._" Emma glared at the brunette. "_So why are you homeless and living in a hotel_?" Regina pursed her lips and took a breath before answering. "_I am not homeless. I am here on business. I live somewhere else and I'm staying in the hotel until I complete my business and return to my home._" Emma squinted her eyes. She could tell there was some truth to what Regina said, but there was also a whole lot of bullshit.

Before they could continue their debate, Regina turned on to the street where Emma had been shot a few days earlier. It was even dirtier than Regina remembered. She had so many questions. How had Emma ended up in this life? Why wasn't she is college? Where were her parents? Emma tried to avoid looking at the bus stop where she had been attacked, but her eyes were drawn like a magnet. Blood still stained the sidewalk. She knew that no one would clean it up. Her blood would stain the cement until it was worn away by time and the elements. _"I heard that the asshole who attacked me died. Right on the spot."_ Regina held her breath for a moment. She had not been able to shake her memory of what she had done when she had ripped the man's heart from his chest. "_Did they tell you how he died_?" She asked Emma casually. "_Heart attack or something like that. He was a junkie, too much physical exertion I guess_." Regina nodded without a verbal response. She let it go. He deserved what ever had happened.

"_Right here_." Emma pointed to a brick, turn of the century building that looked dark and foreboding. Though it was only mid afternoon, there did not appear to be even a hint of sunlight around the structure. It was certainly the most depressing 'home' that Regina could imagine. Emma eased herself out of the car and shut the door firmly, then stuck her head back in the window. "_Thank you for everything, but go back to your hotel Regina, or wherever you're from. I don't need your help. I'll be fine_." With that, Emma turned and headed into the depressing building that she called home. Regina exhaled with exasperation. "_Fine!_" She responded. She was tired of arguing with this girl. If she wanted to refuse help, that was on her. The wheels of the Mercedes squealed as Regina pulled away from the curb and headed back towards her hotel. Emma stopped and watched Regina pull away, obviously pissed. A cold loneliness crept across the blonde's skin. Why had she done that? Why did she continue to push everyone away? And then she remembered Neal and what had been the result of her trusting someone. She took hold of her resolve and headed into 1061 Murphy Dr. The moldy smell of the building hit her as soon as she entered. It was dark and dank as she climbed the three flights of stairs to her apartment.

It shouldn't have been a surprise to Emma to find that a padlock had been put on the door to apartment number 307. She was two weeks behind on rent and the landlord was not the kind to have sympathy for a pregnant teen that had just been shot. Tears welled up in Emma's eyes as she yanked on the lock. She didn't have much, but there were a few things that she hated to lose. She leaned back against the wall and sank to the floor, bringing her knees up to her chest and burying her face in the crook of her uninjured arm, she cried. The pain in her shoulder, a baby in her stomach that required her to eat with some consistency and the newly homeless status were all just too much for her to deal with at the moment. She still had her yellow VW bug. It had been parked on the street for the past week because she had no gas money. But she had lived in it before, she could again. She just needed one minute to regroup and figure out her plan.

Regina entered the freeway and then got off at the next exit and headed back to where she had dropped off Emma. "Damnit." She swore out loud. She was mentally kicking herself for trying so damn hard to help this girl. She was pretty sure this wasn't her normal way of doing things. It just felt… wrong. But there was something about Emma Swan that just took hold of the brunette and refused to let go. She couldn't explain it or deny it and so all she was left with was going back and refusing to give up.

There was no mistaking the clacking of the heels on the steps as Regina made her way to the third floor of the dilapidated building. She was careful not to touch the railing or any piece of the wall. She didn't even want to think about what kind of disease someone could catch in a dump like this. She was caught off guard when she reached the top of the third flight of stairs and found Emma sitting on the floor outside of a padlocked apartment. She didn't have to read the notice that had been taped to the door to know what had happened. When Emma's tear filled eyes looked up and met Regina's surprised face, there was a moment between both women that signaled a truce.

"_Let's go_." Regina held out her hand to help Emma to her feet. The Blonde didn't argue or even speak as she was led back down the stairs and to the car. "_I'll call the manager and take care of this when we get to the hotel. We'll get your things out of there_." Emma simply nodded. She was too beaten down to argue. "_I assure you Miss Swan, it's going to be ok_."

"_You can call me Emma_." The blonde replied in a quiet voice as she stared out of the window. Regina nodded without a reply. '_Emma_' she thought to herself and decided that she liked the name.


	7. Something In Return

"Why are you doing this?" Emma had demanded to know after their arrival at the hotel. Emma's adjustment to the posh environment had been raw and rugged. She felt like a fish out of water and kept looking for the exit sign, ready to bolt like a scared animal. The bellboy had opened the door to a room that was like nothing Emma had ever seen in her life. She was almost afraid to cross the threshold. She peered in cautiously, and then slowly followed the young man who began to show her where everything was. A television, the remote, a small kitchenette with a fully loaded bar in the living area. He opened the drapes and revealed a patio that overlooked the ocean. For the first time in her life, Emma Swan was totally and utterly speechless. She did not know how to respond to this. Her room contained a king size bed stretched out at the far end of the room and it was the most inviting piece of furniture that the blonde had seen in her lifetime.

Emma slowly moved to the bathroom and peaked in, then covered her mouth before gasping out loud. The bathroom was bigger than the apartment that she had just left. A sunken sauna tub was embedded in the marble floor, next to it a shower with three water heads attached to three sides of the tiled walls. A stack of clean towels and toiletries lined a shelf by the sink. She stepped out and leaned back against the wall, still not able to articulate a thought. "Is there anything else that you need Miss?" The Bellboy was polite as he stood waiting for a response. Or maybe he was waiting for a tip. Neither of which he was getting from Emma.

Every fiber of Emma's being revolted. She did not want to be taken care of by some woman that she had just met. Marching into the living room she saw Regina rudely push the bellboy out the door and close it in his face. Evidently she wasn't much of a tipper either. "_Why did you intervene at the bus stop when I was attacked? Why are you doing all of this?"_ She waved her hand around the room. "_If it's sex Sister, I'm afraid that I'm not in peak form right now. So tell me why you brought me here_?" Suspicious blue/green eyes sized up the beautiful brunette. Emma doubted that Regina was ever refused anything. But no one had ever helped Emma just for the hell of it. They always wanted something in return. What was it Regina Mills really wanted?

Emma knew that the offer to stay in a hotel was the best she'd had in a long time. But the idea of staying there with this woman made her nervous. She couldn't explain it. Something about Regina put her on edge. It was like Regina Mills had this whole treasure trove of secrets that she kept locked behind this door of refinement and obvious success. Everyone had their secrets, Emma sure did. But Regina intrigued her in ways that she couldn't figure out. It was like one minute she wanted to dive inside her head and figure out who she really was and what made her tick and the next minute, she wanted to run as far and as fast as she could from the woman. She wondered if Regina had that effect on everyone?

This girl was the most ungrateful person that Regina had ever met. Every damn thing that she tried to do to help her got thrown back in her face. "Sex?" She snorted as if the idea were the most outrageous thing she had ever heard. "Obviously you have no concept of appreciation. I saved you from homelessness and you imply that I'm trying to take advantage of you? You obviously have some serious issues to work out Miss Swan. " Regina was grateful that she had moved them into a suite with two bedrooms that adjoined a common living room and doors that she could slam shut as she stormed out of the room with her best '_fuck you'_ glare.

Suddenly everything exploded in Emma's head. She was tired, her shoulder hurt like hell and she was pregnant which was wrecking all kinds of havoc on her system. She'd had enough and just needed to get out of there. With a sudden burst of energy, she turned, grabbed her bag and left the room. She ignored the pain that was bringing tears to her eyes; she ignored it all and simply walked out.

When she stepped outside the hotel, the cool fresh air and afternoon sun revitalized her. She leaned against the concrete wall outside the hotel in order to get her bearings. She realized much to her chagrin that she had made this grand exit without a clue as to where the hell she was. She reached into her bag and pulled a pair of sunglasses out, covering her eyes from the light and making her feel just a little protected from those passing by who might notice the tears. She didn't need Regina or her money. She shouldn't have listened to that doctor about using a private party to adopt her baby. Her whole life had spun out of control and it was time to get it together. She felt a twinge of regret. She had actually felt drawn to the dark haired beauty, but she knew that it was probably her hormones doing the thinking and not her common sense.

A man in jeans and a tight muscle shirt walked out of the hotel and Emma called out to him. "Excuse me. Where exactly is this hotel and where is the nearest bus stop?" The man looked Emma over, clearly wondering if she should even be in this neighborhood. "Where are you going sweetheart?" She hated to be called Sweetheart. "Mattaphan." Emma stated, avoiding looking directly into the man's eyes. The reaction was always the same when mentioning the lowest rent district in Boston. The man cleared his throat and nodded. "_Well, I'm not sure what bus you'll need, but there is a bus stop at the bottom of this drive. Just to the right after you leave the hotel entrance_." "_Thank you_." Emma responded as she dug in her purse for bus fare. She was doing her best not to use her immobilized shoulder, but she had not yet gotten the hang of operating with one arm. As she was jugging the purse, it dropped onto the ground and spilled. She really did want to cry. As she gathered her things, the man must have felt some kind of mercy towards this poor, scattered woman. "_I'm just getting off work. Why don't I give you a ride home?_"

Emma looked at the man as she considered his offer. She knew it was not the best idea to take a ride from a guy she didn't know. The last time she'd done that, she'd ended up jumping from a moving vehicle. She was in no position to do that this time around. And she had her baby to think of. "Thanks, but I'm good." She nodded as she stepped away and headed down the hill to the bus stop. She prayed that she wouldn't have to make too many transfers to get back to the slum neighborhood where she had left her car. Just as she reached the bottom of the long drive, a thought hit her. "_Fuck_." She said out loud as she sat flatly on the bus bench inside the bus stop shelter. She had not put the care packet in her purse. The bandages and the pills for her shoulder. She had left everything in the room. "_Fuck_." She swore again. She did not want to go back into the hotel, especially after the dramatic exit she had made. But most of all, she did not want to walk up the hill of the drive that she had just come down. And so she sat there, on the hard bench, leaning her head on the side of the clear plastic see-through shelter and wrapped her uninjured arm around her swollen belly. She could not remember ever being this tired. She once more mentally kicked herself for getting into this predicament. Why had she trusted a looser like Neal? Why had she let herself be set up and left in this situation? She had been taking care of herself all of her life. And now she wasn't sure who was wrecking more havoc in her brain, the man who had hurt her or the woman who was trying to help her?


	8. Alone Together

Emma sat there, leaning her head against the hard plastic shelter of the bus stop and wondered how she was even going to have the energy to get up and get on a bus, much less walk back up the hill to the hotel. That little tantrum she had thrown had cost her a lot of energy. She had been fortunate all of her life to remain fairly healthy. With the exception of the occasional injury that usually resulted from her own '_leap first, look later'_ attitude, she had remained in excellent health. She didn't do 'sick' very well. She had learned at an early age that there was not going to be anyone there to care for her if she felt bad, so it was a waist of energy to let her self get too invested in staying sick. She normally healed quickly and moved on. And while she was sure that would be the case with her shoulder as well, right at this moment it hurt like a freaking mother.

A bus pulled to the stop and opened its doors, two women exited and the driver looked at her to take some kind of action. She wanted to. She really did. She at least wanted to know what bus she would need to take to get back to her neighborhood. But no words came out and so he closed the door and drove on, leaving the young blonde to sit there and further debate her predicament. Maybe if she hadn't been pregnant and had a baby sucking her life force dry, she might have been better able to cope with the mess of her injury. She groaned loudly, she still had the whole adoption situation to get worked out. I felt as if her emotions were a hot mess all of the time. Emma was not known for her impulse control, but things seemed to be even worse with the hormones that were wrecking havoc on her system. One minute she wanted to cry and the next minute she wanted to fuck, not that she'd had that option since she had started to show, most men ran as fast as they could from a pregnant woman. She really was a walking disaster at this moment.

She dug into her bag and pulled out her cell phone, fingering the numbers she wracked her brain trying to think of who she could call. There was a waitress at that coffee shop on the corner down from her apartment. What was her name? Hell what was the name of the coffee shop? Emma knew that she had a car because she they had talked about the price of gas. Damn. Ruby? No, that was someone else. As if a reminder of the circumstance was needed, the baby kicked her hard in the ribs, she groaned loudly. Grateful that he had such a powerful kick, but wishing that he'd wait until he was outside the womb to show it off. Just as the discomfort from the kick eased up, Emma caught sight of the breathtaking Regina approaching her from the direction of the hotel. She would give the woman credit, she was determined. A wave of relief washed over the blonde. She almost wanted to cry at the sight of Regina Mills, the fact that she had followed her meant everything.

She had wanted to let her go. Just to be done with this whole crazy mess. Emma Swan was obviously emotionally unstable and with all that Regina had to do, the last thing she needed was a crazy, pregnant teenager to look after. But with a deep acquiesce to the situation, she had come out of her room to have a more rational conversation and discovered the girl gone. Upon further search a bellboy had informed Regina that he'd seen Emma heading down the Hotel driveway towards the street. And so she carefully made her way down the hill, her heels making the trek a dangerous challenge. If she broke her ankle while searching for Emma she was never going to forgive that transgression. Somehow she had managed to make it to the bottom of the slope, turned the corner and found the blonde sitting alone at a bus stop. It was a touching sight even for someone like Regina who did not feel very connected to her emotions.

Sitting down on the hard bench, the brunette sighed and exhaled deeply. "_I don't know_." She responded honestly. " _I don't know why it feels so imperative that I help you. I don't think it's my style, though I'm not exactly sure what my style is_." Emma knew that she was telling the truth. Regina took a deep breath and in a split second decision decided to trust the blonde. "_I have amnesia. I know my driver's license says that my name is Regina Mills and I am from some place called Storybrooke, Maine. I seem to have money because I have multiple credit cards with no maximum credit limits and I drive a Mercedes. That is the extent of what I know. Though I am trying desperately to find my way home. You are the first person that I have met and maybe in some crazy, off the wall way, we both seem to be absolutely alone in this world right now and I figured we could be alone together. But I'm not expecting sexual favors as payment._" Emma snorted and laughed at Regina's last statement. She hadn't really thought that she was here for the sex. Though with this woman, that may not have been so bad.

Amnesia? A million questions flooded Emma's mind, but instead she blurted out, _"I'm giving my baby up. I'm in the middle of an adoption. And as soon as he's born I'm out of here_." Regina nodded in understanding, though in some strange way it made her sad that Emma was giving her baby away. Maybe when things were more comfortable between them she could ask her how that came about. "_I understand_." The brunette nodded. "_This arrangement will just be until you have your child. I expect to have my own situation resolved by that point_." "_I can help you_." Emma sounded hopeful. "_I'm pretty good with investigating and tracking things down. I get a kick out of it. I can help you solve your own personal little mystery_." Regina curled her lip in a smile and nodded. "_Thank you Miss Swan. That would be most appreciated._" Emma returned the smile, pushing her luck even further she stated, "_I need to get my car. I know that you probably don't want to go anywhere near my old neighborhood, but that's where it's parked. It's a piece of junk. But it's mine_." Regina nodded. Emma was right; she had no desire to go anywhere near that part of town, but the car was obviously important. "_Let's go_." The brunette stated simply as she turned and headed back in the direction of the hotel. Emma sighed with relief that she didn't have to get on a bus today, but she seriously dreaded the walk back up the hotel driveway.


	9. 10 Weeks, 3 Days and 4 hours

In the 10 weeks, 3 days and 4 hours since Regina had arrived back at the hotel with one Emma Swan in tow, her life had changed dramatically. Depending on the time of day, her opinion would change as to the brilliance or insanity of that decision. To say that they continued to have disagreements would have been the understatement of the century. They were indeed polar opposites. If Regina said red, Emma said blue. How on earth through all of the conflicts and fighting did they mange to develop an irrefutable attraction?

Regina remembered the moment it happened. The first time that she had the most insatiable desire to kiss Emma. It had been a Tuesday afternoon at a coffee shop 3 blocks from the hotel. Hot chocolate on Emma's lips had made her so adorable that it had taken all of Regina's resolve not to just kiss her and lick the chocolate from the blonde's lips. She knew that Emma had been infatuated with her since she first appeared in the doorway of the hospital. Regina had that effect on people, sometimes she used it to her advantage, but mostly she just ignored the sudden clumsiness that frequently occurred in her presence. And so when Emma's girl crush became evident, Regina did her best to not be patronizing to the teen. Regina's driver's license listed her age as 35. Thirty-five and eighteen was not an acceptable age difference. She was almost twice Emma's age and therefore was not going to allow herself to venture into something that she would find morally reprehensible if a man did it. But that did not minimize the realization that she had actually developed feelings for Emma and therefore set about doing her best to avoid any response when they accidently touched or when the blonde's close proximity made the urge to kiss her excruciatingly painful.

Regina had researched and looked through every database she could find on line. She had hired a professional investigator and had driven back in the direction she had come from on multiple occasions. Emma had proved to be a valuable asset in that regard. Her ability to track down information was uncanny. She was smart and observant. But it all proved fruitless. Storybrooke, Maine simply did not exist. She was beginning to feel crazy. Emma had filled the memory void these past few months, but she had a whole life prior to now that she couldn't remember. Didn't she have one single person in her past life who missed her and cared enough to come looking for her? Even the police database had been checked and there was no Regina Mills who had been reported missing. The only thing that she did not do was question her credit cards. For reasons she could not explain, the cards kept spilling out cash and paying her bills. How could that be? But she did not want to jeopardize her cash flow and so she did not question them. There were so many things that just did not make sense.

Since the day that she had ripped out the heart of the man who had attacked Emma, Regina had looked for other unexplainable and 'magical' abilities. There had been nothing except the one incident when Emma had tripped and fallen down the stairs and Regina had been able to catch her and lift her and carry her to safety before any harm came to her or the baby. Both women had been equally surprised by the feat, but had left their questions to simmer in the back of their minds. Both were suspicious of things that could not be explained and yet not forcing the other for an answer that made the unexplainable even more real. There was something between them that neither could explain nor deny and yet they worked hard to pretend that they did not feel this chocking attraction that was suffocating them both.

In the almost three months since her release from the hospital, Emma had spoken to Mr. Gold by phone and he had apologized, but insisted that the prospective mother just wasn't available for a visit. And after careful discussion and considerations they wanted to insist on the closed adoption that had originally been agreed upon. Emma finally agreed. She wasn't sure what her resistance had been about, but for some unexplainable reason, she felt at peace with her plans. She could not deny occasional fantasies of keeping the baby and living happily ever after with Regina. But she was smart enough to know that would never happen. They both knew that once this baby was born, they would go their separate ways.

Emma was tired. She was beyond ready to have this baby and her feelings about giving him up tormented her on a daily basis. She was a hot mess. She would never acknowledge it out loud, but she had fallen in love with a woman who acted as if she got burned every time they accidently touched. She felt like a bloated cow and she probably looked like one. It was no wonder that Regina didn't find her attractive. But the agony of her own desires was driving her insane.

Emma's favorite place was the patio off of her room that overlooked the ocean. She wasn't sure how long she'd sat there in a daze. Though probably only a few minutes, it had been long enough for her mind to create at least a dozen reasons why she needed to just pick up her bag and go. It was a daily conversation that she had with herself. She absently fingered the zipper on her backpack as she gazed out past the balcony and watched laughing, busy people enjoying the waning days of summer. She would have this kid soon, and be gone by the end of fall, before the really bad weather set in. She hoped that Regina would be safely tucked back in… where ever she was from… before the first serious snowfall. Emma wasn't sure she could face another winter here. The cold New England weather only served to further isolate her from the world. She wanted someplace warm. She smiled remembering the conversations that she'd had with Neal about Tallahassee. Maybe that's where she'd go. Neal would know to look for her there. She wondered if he'd ever show again? And she wondered exactly what method she would use to kill him for what he'd done. She sighed and shrugged off the anger. She definitely wanted to go someplace far enough away that she wouldn't be reminded of her son, or Regina Mills. She wondered if there really was such a place on earth that was that far?

She was tired. A deep down bone tired. She tried to resist the lure of her bed. This pregnancy had infected her with narcolepsy. She could fall asleep at the drop of a hat. And a good mattress was every bit as seductive as a good lover. She cupped her face in the palm of her hand, eyes draped at half mask. Her shoulder still throbbed on occasion, but the damn thing had healed quickly. Fortunately who ever had passed along their genes to her, had given her the gift of quick recovery and the injury should present a problem when she delivered. Unable to resist any longer, she crawled on to the bed and fell fast asleep.

_Falling… falling… until she hit bottom. The dream crept around her and covered her skin with a cold wetness. She saw Regina in an elegant, long gown, and dramatic makeup, sweeping through a long marble corridor. She was cold, so cold. Mirrors lined the wall and in each a face appeared… the same face… a man who seemed to be following her. Emma's heart was pounding, something bad was going to happen, and then Regina turned and saw her, she knew that she had to fight and so she pulled her sword, but the sword simply vanished and Regina was kissing her…. Kissing her? Emma groaned in her sleep as the twisted dream faded and she drifted off into a more restful place. _

Regina hated to disturb her, but it was time for dinner and Emma's pre-natal vitamins. The brunette sat on the edge of the bed and allowed herself a moment of pleasure in simply looking down at the face of beauty. Emma was the most breathtaking woman she had ever met. It was true; some pregnant women really did 'glow'. Regina brushed an errant strand of hair away from Emma's face and allowed her fingers to stroke the soft skin of the blonde's cheek. She would never confess her feelings. Soon Emma would have the baby, and both of them would be gone from Regina's life. She wondered if after that happened; she would still be sitting here in this hotel trying to figure out who she was. She decided at that moment that she was leaving here once Emma was gone. That would be one memory she wished to forget. Emma's eyes opened and she smiled at the feel of Regina's fingers on her cheek. "_Time for dinner_." The brunette smiled, enjoying one of their rare peaceful moments.

Without warning Emma sat up and kissed Regina. She claimed her mouth and her lips in a demanding and urgent kiss. She was unable to resist the choking need to feel her lips on Regina's, any longer. Regina didn't resist, she cupped Emma's face with her hands and kissed her back, both women wanting and needing this kiss more than the air they breathed. Another time and another place they both may have been naked in minutes. But just as quickly, Regina regained her senses. She wanted this woman more than she had ever wanted anyone in her life. But Emma was a kid and pregnant and there were a million other reasons why this was wrong. The brunette jumped from the bed as if she had been slapped. Smoothing out the nonexistent wrinkles in her dress she put distance between herself and this intoxicating woman who had just kissed her. She licked her dry lips in an effort to regain some composure.

"_Don't run away Regina. We both want this_." "_No_." Regina shook her head. "_We both don't want this_." Her voice was measured and controlled. "_This will all be over soon_." As she turned to leave, Emma cried out stopping Regina's hasty exit. Both women looked down in shock as a sharp pain shot across Emma's abdomen and water spilled onto the bed from between her thighs. "_Don't leave me_." Emma's voice shook with fear. "_Never_." Regina responded as she picked up the phone and requested the desk call for an ambulance immediately. "_We're having a baby_." She told the clerk as she took Emma's hand and squeezed.


	10. Please Choose Me

She reached out and grabbed hold of Regina's arm. She wanted everyone else to disappear and leave them alone. "_Sorry_." She whispered in a pain filled voice. "_I didn't mean for it to go down this way. I shouldn't have kissed you_." Emma's words were halting as she breathed through the stabs of pain. Regina wanted to tell Emma that her kiss had been the most amazing experience of her life. That she wanted to kiss her again, make love with her and never let her go. Instead she said, "_We have to count_. _How far apart are the contractions_?" Emma growled as her grip on Regina grew stronger and she had no regard for the fact that her nails were breaking skin. She heard the ambulance and the paramedics arrive, lifting her up and pushing others away. _"No_." Emma cried. "_I want Regina with me. Please. Let her come with me_." She heard one of them tell Regina that there was no room and Emma tried to get off of the gurney. "_I don't want to go with you. Let her take me to the hospital_." "_Miss, you have to lay quiet, we don't want this baby born in the hotel lobby do we_?" The question seemed to stop Emma's efforts to sit up. She really didn't want to give birth here in front of all of these people. She was crying when she heard Regina's voice tell her that she would be right behind her. "_Hurry_." Was all she could say before she was whisked away. "_Grandview_." She grunted. "_My doctor is at Grandview Hospital._"

It was all happening so fast. She had been waiting for months and now she was finally going to have this baby. The labor pains were coming much quicker, she tried to remember her breathing, but she needed Regina. Not just as her breathing coach but as her guide and companion. When she arrived at the hospital she was taken through the Emergency room and up to the maternity ward. "_Regina_." She demanded. She's right behind me. I want her with me." The nurse patted her shoulder, "All right honey, we'll make sure to bring her right up when she gets here." The pain was becoming unbearable, she was so scared and her breathing was erratic. She couldn't remember how they had practiced. "_Fuck!_" She cried out when an intense pain shot straight through her vagina. Forget the Lamaze she had practiced, she wanted drugs now. "_Where is she_?" Emma demanded to know. It felt as if it had been hours since she had arrived at the hospital and still no sign of the brunette . After what seemed like an agonizing eternity, she saw Regina enter the room all covered in scrubs. She wanted to laugh out loud and almost did until she was reminded of why they were there when another pain split her open.

She reached out for the brunette, crying with relief as she took hold of Regina's hand. She felt herself relax just a fraction with the contact and presence of her love. "_I can't do this_." She cried, squeezing Regina's hand so tight that she was sure to break a bone or two. She began to breath as she had learned, Regina there coaching, loving, touching and comforting. "_Don't leave me_." She begged Regina as the baby's head began to push forward and her son struggled to make his way into the world. "_Please choose me_." She whispered in a dry voice, her throat raw from the pain and frantic breathing. She squeezed her eyes shut as she heard the doctor instruct her to push. She was so tired that now all she wanted was to sleep. "_Come on Emma, you have to push. We're almost there_." Emma cried, gripping Regina's wrists with the strength of a superhero.

With one final grunt and painful push, a beautiful baby boy came into the world.

Emma was so exhausted that she was on the edge of passing out. She heard the baby cry and then burst into stronger tears when they wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in her arms. He was so tiny and so ... _ugly_. His face was swollen and wrinkled and he looked like someone's miniature grandfather. But he was her son. She kissed his forehead and let her tears wash his face. She then pulled Regina down and gently placed the baby in her arms. "_My son_." She whispered in a dry voice, before passing out from the exhaustion. Regina stared in awe at the bundle in her arms. She could almost see Emma reflected in the tiny face. In an instant she fell in love. But before she could really take in the moment, the baby was taken from her arms. "_Sorry_." The nurse apologized. The baby has been adopted. We have to take him now. The nurse did not see the tears of loss that sprang up in Regina's eyes. In less than five seconds she had experienced an emotion greater than any she had ever known.

Regina sat by Emma's bedside for several hours watching the blonde sleep. She looked exhausted be at peace. She touched her fingertips to the soft skin of her face and then gently brushed the wayward strands of hair away from her face. She would never confess it out loud, but she had most certainly fallen in love with Emma Swan. She wondered what Emma would do now that she had given up the baby? Regina sighed. It was a crazy and insane thought that ran scattered across her mind. She wasn't sure if she'd ever find her way home, where ever that was and so she wanted to take both Emma and the baby and go make a new life somewhere. But if Regina knew nothing else about herself, it was that she was a pragmatist. This baby had a family that had legally adopted it and was right now taking him home. And Emma Swan was an eighteen year old girl with her whole life ahead of her and the last thing she needed was a 35 year old lover who could not even remember if she liked jelly on her toast. She kissed Emma's lips and wiped away the tears that dropped onto the blonde's sleeping face. "_Take care of yourself Miss Swan_." She turned and walked away without looking back.

When Emma woke, she was alone. Everything hurt. She was so sore between her thighs that it felt like the result of being the guest of honor at a bachelor party for the 3rd Naval fleet. Her breasts were swollen and aching, filled with milk and needing release. A nurse entered the room and drew the curtains. "Good morning dear. How are we feeling this morning?" Emma glared at her, blocking her sensitive eyes from the bright light. "_We're_ just peachy." She answered sarcastically. "_Where is my baby_?" The nurse looked at her and shook her head. "_Sorry dear. But since we have adoption orders on your child, we can't bring him to your room. We have protocol that we have to follow in situations like this. But I will give you medication that will help the milk dry up in your breasts so that you won't have that pain_." The nurse turned to leave. "_Wait._" Emma called out desperately. "_Where's Regina? The woman who was with me_." "_She left. Said that she had to get home. But she did leave you this_." The nurse opened the drawer to the nightstand by Emma's bed and pulled out a large, sealed envelope." Emma touched it reluctantly, hesitating before opening it. Once the nurse had left her alone, she ripped the seal from the brown envelope and emptied the contents onto the bed. Her eyes grew wide in disbelief when three stacks of cash and a note fell into her lap.

_"__Miss Swan, I am sorry that I won't be here when you wake up. I have to find my own way home and so I must leave. I have made arrangements for you to stay at the hotel for as long as you like. Here is ten thousand dollars. It's a gift. Please make a new life for yourself and I hope that you find what you're looking for. You will never know how much you have come to mean to me and I wish you nothing but happiness. …. Regina Mills."_

Emma laid there in total confusion. Why would Regina leave? Why would she give her money? She pushed the covers away and ran her hand over her now flat stomach. There was still some swelling but nowhere near the size of what it had been the day before. She suddenly felt empty, as if she had lost something that she would never regain.. Tears swelled in Emma's eyes as she refused to believe that in one day she had lost both her baby and Regina. A range of emotion flooded her senses. She was so scared and feeling more alone than she could remember ever feeling in her life.


	11. Circle of Time

Regina had barely kept the tears at bay as she picked up her things from the hotel room and made arrangements for Emma's continued stay. "_As long as she wants_." she had told the Hotel Manager. "_Just bill it to my card_." He looked confused, but nodded in understanding. If she could do nothing else for Emma, she wanted to at least ensure that she was not going back to that rat trap where she had first found her. Emma deserved so much more than even this. But Regina knew this was the right thing to do. If she stayed, she could not resist Emma. She wanted her more than the air she breathed. But Emma needed to figure out who she was… and so did Regina. She briefly thought about the baby and a sadness crossed her heart. A part of her wished that Emma had been able to keep her son, though the rational part of her brain knew the adoption was in the child's best interest. Where would Emma go now? Regina didn't want to think about it. She was leaving just in time before she found herself in any deeper.

She had carelessly thrown her newly acquired belongings into the trunk of her car and slid behind the wheel. Emma would be released today and she just couldn't face her again and be forced to maintain control of emotions that were raw and ragged and raging like a slow burning fire beneath her skin . She once more set off at a manic pace, the tears clouding her vision as she left Boston and headed back in the direction that she had come from on that fateful night. She wasn't sure why, it just felt familiar due to the number of times she had driven back this way trying to find some clue about her past. This whole scenario was insane. None of it felt real. And most of all she was pissed at herself for creating this whole situation. She once more found herself driving on the deserted stretch of highway in Maine. Thunderclouds filled the night sky and without warning, the torrential rain fell, blinding the road in front of her. She had vacillated between anger and sadness the entire drive. Resisting the overwhelming urge to turn around and go back. A sudden bolt of electricity lit up the night sky, the thunder so loud that Regina jumped and gripped the wheel of her car even tighter. What was she doing? She had been back this way a hundred times and there was no clue of her mysterious past. Suddenly she heard a baby cry and she looked around in confusion. In the rearview mirror she thought she saw a baby secured in a car carrier in the back seat. It was Emma's baby. She gasped in shock just as she passed through the invisible barrier, adrenalin flooding her body as the car spun out of control, sliding across the road and slamming into the '**_Welcome to Storybrooke'_** sign. Regina's head cracked on the steering wheel and she slumped over in unconsciousness.

"_Madam Mayor. Can you hear me_?" Doctor Whale held Regina's eye lids open and flashed a pin light directly into her pupils. "_Oh course I can hear you, you idiot._" Regina slapped the doctor's light away from her eyes as she pushed her way into a conscious state. "_Where am I_?" She demanded. "In the Hospital. You had an accident." "_That's ridiculous_." She snapped. "_I would remember if I were in an accident_." She rubbed the temples of her head as she sat up and tried to think. Her head hurt as if it had been run over by a truck. The last thing she remembered was the argument with Gold. Something about wanting her property as payment for arranging the adoption. Her eyes sprang open wide. There was a baby in her car. Someone she knew had a baby. She tired desperately to wrack her memory but everything was distant and far away. She'd had a dream about…. _Someone_. "_There was a baby_." She said aloud to the doctor. "_Yes, there certainly is_." Mr. Gold entered the room with his usual smugness. "_And I must say he is a handsome boy. Congratulations Madam Mayor._" Regina looked sharply at Gold, residual anger creeping into her blood stream. "_What are you blabbering about Gold?_" "_Why your son, of course. Thankfully he was buckled securely in the car when you hit the sign post_."

Regina was confused as hell. She hadn't had a baby… _someone else had the baby… the name was right on the tip of her tongue._ "_Here's your son, Miss Mills_." The nurse arrived as if on cue, placing the baby in her arms. She had seen this baby before. "_The adoption went smoothly. You had just picked him up and were on your way home when the rain caused your accident._" Regina looked down at the beautiful boy in her arms and tears ran down her face. This was her son? "_I remember him_." She whispered, then looked at the doctor. "_ I don't remember taking him from the hospital_." She wracked her brain for clues. "_But I think I remember hitting the sign_." Doctor Whale nodded. "_It's not uncommon with a head injury to have some memory loss. I'm sure you'll be fine. I just want to keep you both here until I'm sure that you're all right and able to care for him_." Regina nodded in agreement as she touched her finger to the baby's soft cheek. "_I'm naming him Henry Emmett Mills_." She whispered "_He looks just like his mother_." She didn't see the smugness on Gold's face as the circle of time closed and all had gone according to plan.


	12. Happy 28th Birthday!

Emma left the hospital and returned to the hotel simple because she had nowhere else to go. She had harbored a secret wish that she would find Regina waiting, but had found the expected; the room was empty of any sign of the Brunette. Emma stripped and showered then crawled naked under the covers in Regina's bed, loving the coolness of the clean sheets. How many times in her life had she crawled into dirty beds? There was such a profound emptiness and loneliness that she thought that she would die of a broken heart.

She woke up crying, dreaming that her baby had died. It was completely dark outside and she wondered how long she had slept? She made her way into the bathroom and brushed her teeth and washed her face, then stood staring at her naked body in the mirror. Though her stomach no longer prevented her from seeing her feet, she had obviously put on some weight during her pregnancy. She was thinking that she should care, but she just didn't. Emma was not one to over think things. She went a lot on intuition and her gut feelings. She trusted that more than she ever did the random chaotic musings of her brain. The problem was that she couldn't feel anything. Nothing. Nada. It was as if someone had taken an eraser and wiped out all of her intuition and feelings. She walked back into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed looking around, finally looking at the clock beside her bed that told her it was 4 a.m. She was lost and paralyzed.

Another thirty minutes passed before the chill finally forced her to get up and get dressed. She surprised herself when she began to pull out all of her clothes, dumping them on the bed. She slipped into her old pair of jeans, much tighter than they used to be, but fitting her better than the clothes she had worn during her pregnancy. She opened up her backpack and found the baby blanket that she had carried with her since she could remember. 'Emma' was embroidered into the knit. She looked at the pile of maternity clothes and knew that she would never wear them again. She folded them neatly and left them on the bed. Maybe there was someone who could use them. She shoved the ten thousand dollars that Regina had given her, into the bottom of her backpack, and then piled what few clothes she had that actually fit, on top of the money. She was not planning anything. It was as if she were in a trance and going through the motions of something that would not reveal itself until she had finished. She slipped her jacket on and pulled the backpack over her shoulder.

Without looking back, Emma left her room and went down to the front of the hotel. In the freezing predawn hour they brought her the little yellow bug around to the front of the hotel. Throwing her backpack into the passenger seat, she turned the ignition and shifted into gear, driving away to an unknown destination. She could not explain why she was leaving. Beneath the void of sadness that was choking her, her heart was breaking.

Emma had no idea where she was heading that pre-dawn day as she left Boston. Her motions were mechanical, driving, stopping for gas, exhaustion finally forcing her to rent a room at a roadside motel somewhere near Philadelphia. She had sat on the edge of the bed for at least an hour, staring down at the matted brown carpet, unable to piece together the reasons why she had left in the first place. Fear? Maybe. Depression? Probably. But more than anything, it had been a profound emptiness that choked her and left her unable to face the daunting task of being alone again in a place that she had felt love for the first time in her life. She had no idea where she was going. The next morning she ate breakfast at a diner with the letter 'B' on the door. She briefly wondered what had caused them to miss out on the sought after 'A' rating, but it didn't matter. She ordered eggs and bacon and swallowed it down with weak coffee. She did allow herself a brief smile as she asked for a second cup. She could now drink all the coffee she wanted. Was that the consolation prize for giving up her son?

She drove for days, the I95 South seemed endless as she passed through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and finally into Florida. She had just kept driving in the opposite direction of Maine. Tallahassee had stuck in her brain. She and Neal had talked about going there. And though that was another life, it was the only destination she could think of. She was there for two years before it began to get to her, as usual; she planted no roots, had very few friends and made no commitments. But she had managed to take a few law enforcement classes at a community college and earned a certificate that let her get hired on in the local police dispatch office. It was boring as hell, but it kept the rent paid and food on the table. She thought about trading in the yellow bug for a newer car, but she couldn't let it go. It was the only thing she had left that reminded her of Boston. So she had the engine and transmission replaced, did a complete overhaul and the mechanic swore it was as good as new.

There was not a day or an hour in a day or a minute in an hour that she did not think of Regina and the baby that she had given away. On her son's third birthday she came home to the 400 sq ft apartment that she called home and found a message on her answering machine. It was a guy she had gone out with asking her for a second date. It was time to go. She looked around the apartment and realized that she had not accumulated much more than she had arrived with. She pulled out the cupcake from her refrigerator. It was a tradition on her birthday and the baby's that she lit a candle and made a wish. She had kicked herself a million times for never asking Regina's birthday. She didn't even know how old she was. How could it be that she would not know such personal information about the woman who held her heart?

She wished for her son's happiness and then blew out the candle. She scooped some of the frosting off with her finger and sucked it into her mouth. The bone deep depression and melancholy that had taken hold after the baby's birth had faded after the first year. She had forced herself to go see a doctor and receive treatment. She had told the doctor that she'd given her baby up for adoption. She choked on her own guilt and pain and then went about packing her things. She loaded the car and left the keys to her apartment on the counter. She'd call the landlord later on. She stopped by the police station and turned in her keys, let them know that she was leaving and she'd send word on where her last check could be sent. She knew that she would just have to kiss that money good-bye. She never left a forwarding address.

She'd stuck away five thousand dollars into a savings account for her next move. She knew there would be a next one. She closed the account and headed west to California. She'd always wanted to see the Pacific Ocean. It took her six months to make it there, stopping a long the way to earn a few dollars and visit a few tourist attractions. She didn't know what she was doing or why she was doing it. Her life seemed to be in a perpetual state of uncertainty. In California, Emma took a few more classes and got herself trained and licensed as a Fugitive Recovery Agent. A fancy word for Bounty Hunter. There was something dangerous and aggressive about the work that gave her a thrill. She carried a gun, tracked down fugitives who had skipped out on their bail. She liked it. She got to kick ass sometimes and that certainly helped to work out her aggressions. She liked it. She was content. A lover now and again kept the loneliness manageable and her life was simple. She had learned to live with the ache in her hear, it had become as much a part of her as the air she breathed.

On her twenty-seventh birthday Emma came home to another empty apartment and collapsed on the couch. She combed her fingers through her thick blonde hair and squeezed her eyes closed to fight off a headache. She had a date tonight, a woman who was a cop and had asked several times before Emma finally agreed. She had realized long ago that she preferred women over men, though she had been able to give nothing but sex in return for their attention. Her desire and ache for Regina sometimes choked her as it did on this night. Wondering where she was and how she was doing. Had she ever found her way home to Storybrooke? Suddenly Emma knew that it was time to head back to the East Coast. She'd had just about all of the sun that she could stand. She pulled out her cell phone and called to cancel her date. Apologizing profusely and hanging up the phone with little explanation. She dialed Jerry, the bondman she worked for and left a message on his voicemail. "I'm gone. Take care of yourself." Was all she said as she pulled the traditional cupcake out of her fridge and made her wish. She had grown so much in the years since she had left Boston. She was not that confused eighteen year old that fled under the cover of darkness. This time she was returning to something. She just wasn't sure what that was.

The drive back across country was much shorter than her journey West. Inside a week her yellow bug was back traveling the familiar streets of Boston. She could not resist pulling up in front of the Hotel where she had shared those months with Regina. It was still standing as beautiful and elegant as ever. She covered her mouth and cried for first time in a very long time. It was the reminder of a loss that was more profound than any she knew how to cope with. Growing up an orphan had left Emma untrusting and leery. Loosing Regina had left her empty and soulless. Finally wiping away the tears, she went in search of an apartment. This one much nicer than the last one she had rented on Boston. It didn't take long to find work; she was good at what she did. She was able to get her California license transferred with the ease of a simple test, a new gun permit and she was back in business. Emma was good at tracking people down. She knew how to use the internet and any other available resources to track down the information she needed. The money was good.

As her twenty-eighth birthday approached, the need to see Regina became more urgent. It had been ten years. Ten very long and painful years. She had never stopped loving or wanting Regina Mills. She wondered if Regina had found Storybrooke? All of their previous searched had been futile. But Emma now had skills that she had not possessed ten years earlier. Would Regina even want to see her if she did find her. Tomorrow Emma would be twenty-eight. Tomorrow she was going to once more drive that road that Regina had shown her and she was determined to find Storybrooke, Maine.


	13. Welcome To Storybrooke

She had driven this route a hundred times a decade earlier when Regina had been frantic to find her way home. Each trip had led to a dead end. Emma wasn't sure why today would be different; maybe it was the confidence in her tracking skills that had been lacking all those years ago when she had cried in frustration, unable to find the town of Storybrooke. She had doubted its existence and at times even doubted Regina's stability. But Emma was living proof that the heart could over rule the head when it came to matters of love. And so today she was back on the familiar stretch of highway once more hoping to find a road that she had missed or a sign that announced the lost town of Storybrooke. It was her 28th Birthday and she was feeling lucky.

She wasn't sure what compelled her to look up into the window of the bus as she pulled out of the last gas station before the long, baron stretch of Maine's highway that had inevitably always lead to a dead end. But something pulled her focus and she found herself staring up into the face of a little boy. His nose was pressed against the glass window of the Greyhound and his eyes were…. Searching. As if he too had lost something that he had to find. The bus was headed towards Boston. Her heart clenched at the sight of the small face. Lost and yet hopeful as he went off in the direction that Emma had just come from. She shook it off and began her last leg of the journey. The late afternoon sun began to settle and still she drove, her hands gripping the steering wheel as confusion clouded her face. Unlike her fruitless trips of the past, Emma found herself passing through a beautiful patch of overgrown trees and as a soft rain began to fall, out of no where she saw the sign that read, '_Welcome to Storybrooke_." She pulled off of the road and stared in awe at the apparition. Had she really found Regina's elusive home? She swallowed hard as her heart raced in her chest. The sign actually said _Storybrooke_. Finally pulling off of the shoulder and back on to the road she continued her journey, slowly moving her yellow bug through the rainy streets of the unfolding town.

It was a small, quaint village, none of the skyscrapers that lined Boston's skyline. An old town clock with the wrong time standing above the library that looked like it hadn't been open in a while. She tried to imagine Regina living here. She realized that she had no idea of what to say. Regina Mills had left her, abandoned her over a decade ago. Maybe she should just go back to Boston? Why was the need to see a woman who had rejected her, so urgent? The compulsion was stronger than anything she had ever felt. She saw a diner called "_Granny's"_ and the growl in her stomach forced her to park and go in. It was a small and cozy town restaurant. Food and a good cup of coffee would give her time to think. She hadn't made a plan of what to do once she got here. She took a seat near the window, she needed a quiet minute to think it through.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there. Slowly sipping coffee and staring absently out the window as she watched the citizens of Storybrooke conclude the business of their day. She was procrastinating. She knew that. She was actually here in Regina's town and now she was petrified of what to do next. There had been a million times over the years that she had imagined this town. Not knowing if it truly existed, but sure that it would feel like Regina. And it did, it appeared organized and busy just like the woman she remembered. A pretty redhead with a great smile came over and offered her more coffee. Emma nodded in acceptance. "_Can you tell me if there's a local motel that you recommend?_"

The waitress smiled and titled her head as she spoke. "_We don't get many strangers in town. You looking for one night or are you staying for a while?_" Emma shrugged. "_I'm not sure to be honest. I have some business. I'm not sure how long it will take_." "_I'm Ruby_." The waitress extended her hand. "_Emma_," she responded as she shook the outstretched hand. "_Well you've already found the best place that I can recommend. 'Granny's'_." Emma looked around and back at Ruby with a skeptical eye. "_You rent out the tables at night?"_ "_No silly_." Ruby laughed as she shook her head. "_This is the diner. But we've got a bead and breakfast next door_." Emma smiled. "_That sounds perfect_." She would rent a room, maybe lay low for a day or two and check out the town before actually tracking down Regina. On impulse Emma decided to ask Ruby her burning question. "_Do you happen to know a woman by the name of Regina Mills_?" Ruby laughed out loud.

Just then a little bell rang and the front door of the diner opened. "_You mean that Regina Mills_?" Ruby smirked as Emma froze in her seat. She had not changed at all in ten years. The Regina Mills who walked through the door of the diner looked exactly like the Regina that Emma had known. Her hair was styled a little differently, maybe a little shorter than it had been in Boston, but she had not aged a day. Emma was not the same young eighteen-year old with flawless skin. Creases around her eyes reflected the years and dark circles under her eyes from too many sleepless nights. Though she was probably a little thinner than the last time Regina had seen her. She'd lost the 'baby fat' and had only recently stopped smoking… again. Emma was mesmerized as she watched the brunette walk in as if she owned the place, though her movements were frantic.

"_Have you seen Henry?_" She demanded to know from anyone within earshot. Regina's eyes searched the diner, examining each face before scanning the next. The brunette's eyes examined Emma without recognition, but a flicker of something caused her to flinch. Who was that woman? There were no strangers in Storybrooke. There was something overwhelmingly familiar about the blonde, but Regina didn't have time for guessing games right now. Her son was missing. The bell above the diner's door announced the arrival of the Sheriff; he quickly put his arm around Regina and led her out to his car.

Jealousy raced across Emma's skin like a slow burning fire. He touched her with the familiarity of a lover; there was no mistaking that. Everyone on the diner began to talk, a few heading outside. "_Henry's missing_." She heard the grey-haired woman say out loud. "_We need to help the Sheriff form up a search party_."

"_Is that the Regina Mills that you're looking for?_" Ruby asked with a slight curl of her lip. "_I don't think that she's in the mood for conversation. Her son is missing._" "_Her son_?" Emma rolled the question off her tongue as if it had a bad taste. Was the Sheriff her husband? Did they have a son together? Emma groaned loudly. What was she doing here? Regina didn't even recognize her and she had obviously moved on with her life. The blonde choked as her heart broke into a thousand pieces. She had been such an idiot to think that she could show up and Regina would just rush into her arms. Emma swallowed hard. Her heart was racing a thousand miles an hour and she couldn't breath. She wanted to run and grab the brunette and hold her close, but instead she simply sat there frozen and unable to move. She needed to get out of this town.

Regina's voice cracked as she spoke to Graham. How could Henry be gone? Where would he go? She choked back her tears and her fear. Covering her mouth with her hand, she glanced sideways towards the blonde in the diner. She had no idea who that woman was, which was certainly not the norm for her. But more importantly, she felt as if she should know her. As if she reminded Regina of someone who had once been important. But the Mayor's thoughts were too distracted with her missing son.

Emma sat frozen in a corner booth. It was Regina, no doubt about that. But the brunette had looked right at her and had not even recognized her. How could she forget so easily? Though it had been 10 years, Emma knew that she would recognize Regina anywhere. "_Everything ok_?" Ruby asked as she filled up Emma's coffee cup. "_Sure_." Emma replied with a false bravado, her eyes remaining steady on the brunette standing outside next to the Sheriff's car. "_Poor Mayor._" Ruby shook her head. "_To be honest, she scares the hell out of me most of the time, but I do feel bad about Henry. Wonder where he could have gone off to?_" "_She's the Mayor_?" Emma repeated more to herself than Ruby. She wanted to laugh. Why on earth would Ruby be afraid of Regina? A million questions flooded Emma's mind. But it suddenly occurred to her that her job was finding people. That's what she did. And despite her resentments toward Regina, the right thing to do was to help her find her kid. Emma handed Ruby sufficient cash to cover the check and leave a sizable tip, then boldly headed outside.

Emma swallowed hard as she approached Regina; self-restraint had never been one of her most outstanding skills. She could not believe that Regina had not aged a day in 10 years. She was as stunningly beautiful as she had been a decade ago. "_Madam Mayor, my name is Emma Swan. I know how to find people. Can I offer my assistance with finding your son?"_

_'__She's certainly not a kid anymore_.' Was a random thought that quickly crossed the Mayor's mind as her eyes scanned the beautiful blonde who approached. She had no idea where that bizarre and stray thought came from. She nodded, willing to accept any help in finding Henry. "_Thank you Miss Swan_." Graham eyed Emma suspiciously. Who was this woman? Henry's missing and out of the blue there's a woman who find's people that magically appears. Why wasn't Regina more suspicious? The Mayor didn't trust anyone? Why would she be so willing to accept help from a stranger? "_Excuse us._" The Sheriff pulled the Mayor over to the side and whispered harshly. "_Why are you accepting help from this woman? For all we know, she could be a suspect. She may have taken Henry. She may have hurt him. What better ways to cover her tracks than to pretend to help find him?_" Regina looked past Graham and studied the blonde. "_I don't know_." The Mayor shook her head. "We need help. I want my son back, Graham. It's been several hours and you have nothing." She pulled away from the Sheriff and stepped in front of the blonde. She pulled a picture from her purse and handed it to Emma. "This is my son, Henry. He's 10 years old. Find him." Her voice shook with the command of her last few words.

The close proximately of Regina's body so close to her own made Emma take a small step back. She could smell Regina's perfume, soft and familiar. It was the same scent she had always worn. Emma stared at the brunette's mouth, remembering a long ago kiss as the lips now trembled with emotion. As Emma took the picture from Regina's unstable hand, she gasped in recognition. She was sure that it was the same boy she had seen earlier in the day. "_I think I know where he's heading. I saw him, on a bus heading towards Boston when I pulled out of a gas station today_." Regina's hand covered her mouth. Her son was on a bus heading to Boston? "_He's 10 years old_?" Emma suddenly asked? "_Yes_." Regina nodded as she held back the tears. "_He's a just a little boy. You have to find him_."

How could Regina have a 10-year-old son? Emma's mind once more raced with a thousand questions. But first she had to find him and then she would get her answers. "_Wait at home in case he calls or comes back. I'll head out to Boston_." She started to leave and then turned back to quickly look at Regina once more. None of this made sense and Emma was more confused than she could begin to understand. But right now the priority was finding this kid before he got lost in the streets of Boston. She knew about being an inexperienced kid on those streets. "_I'll find him_." She said with conviction as she briefly touched Regina's arm and then left. She didn't look back as she drove away. She wiped the tears from her own eyes as she once more headed down that long stretch of deserted highway leading away from Storybrooke. Her brain beat a chaotic rhythm of confusion. Nothing made sense. A loud bolt of thunder and lightening cracked across the night sky as she drove. What would have made this kid run away? She suspected that Regina Mills and Storybrooke, Maine both held long guarded secrets. The good news was that Emma Swan, was a pro at finding answers.


	14. By Any Means Necessary

Regina watched the ugly yellow car drive away. Had she really just trusted this stranger to go off in search of her son? She gritted her teeth in frustration. She had no choice. She knew that she could not cross the town line. As painfully frustrated as she was, Graham's grip on her arm reminded her that she could not leave Storybrooke. Only those who were not affected by her curse were free to come and go. Which brought her thoughts back to the blonde who had appeared and then disappeared like a knight on a horse ready to save the day, only in this case a knight in an ugly, yellow, VW bug. Regina shuddered at the thought of driving such a thing, but she could not deny here intrigue with Emma Swan. There was something about the woman that captivated her instantly. She reminded Regina of... somebody. The Mayor just couldn't put her finger on exactly who. When Henry was safely returned to her, she most certainly wanted to know more about Emma Swan.

Regina watched the yellow car until it disappeared out of sight and then glanced up and caught sight of Mr. Gold standing across the street, leaning on his cane with a definite smirk on his face. She hated Gold. That had never changed. But he did come in handy for certain things. He had helped her to arrange Henry's adoption. The Mayor narrowed her eyes as she watched the shopkeeper. Suddenly she was filled with a sense of rage. She wasn't sure what inspired it, but she was damn sure that Gold knew something he wasn't saying.

"Let me take you home." Graham guided the Mayor towards his squad car. "You stay by the phone and I'll keep searching around town."

"He's not in town." Regina stated the obvious. "Didn't you just hear that he is on a bus heading to Boston?"

"Graham shook his head and patted Regina's knee like a child as he headed toward the Mayor's mansion. "Those are the words of some unknown person who appeared out of nowhere. I prefer to do my own investigation."

Regina pushed Graham's hand from her knee. He was a fool who was good for nothing but serving as an occasional bed warmer. She couldn't explain why, but she believed this Emma Swan. There was something familiar about her, though obviously she was not one of the town idiots that the Queen had brought to Storybrooke from the Enchanted Forest. The Mayor's eyes blurred with tears, as she thought about her son all alone in a city such as Boston. Regina was sure that it was a dreadful place where people were shot and killed simply walking down the street. Not a world that she ever wanted Henry to know about.

"I think Gold knows something." Regina stated abruptly as they drove away. "I want you to talk to him. I want you to interrogate him until he screams and tells you what he knows about my son." "Regina." Graham shook his head. "You're upset. And I want to find Henry as much as you do. But I'm not interrogating anyone until they scream. It took an enormous about of self restraint not to choke Graham. The man was very lucky that Regina was a Queen without magic. She would use whatever means necessary to find her son and she would learn the truth of what Gold was hiding.

The drive back to Boston left Emma exhausted and running on pure caffeine. She had thought of nothing but Regina and Regina's son, the entire time. Was it all a game? How could she possibly not remember Emma? They had spent three months together. Three very dramatic and emotional months. And while Regina had never professed that she had fallen in love the way that Emma had, she just couldn't fathom that she didn't even remember the experience. But then Regina had a memory problem when she met her. She didn't remember anything about herself except her name. Maybe it was an illness? A psychological problem that kept erasing her memory? Could that happen? Emma had saw a movie once about a woman who had no memory from day to day. And each day she started over again. Could that be Regina Mills? But then how could she possibly be the Mayor of a town if she had that kind of mental instability? It just didn't make sense.

Emma had barely turned off the engine before she was jumping out of the car. It was pre-dawn hours and her heart was racing at the idea of a little boy being here alone. This is where kids were picked up and never heard from again. There were stalkers who watched for out of town run-aways getting off of buses and then lured them in with false promises and schemes. She ran through the station, searching every face for the kid. She found nothing. She approached the ticket counter who referred her to the bus driver who happened to still be in the station. He remembered the boy, but last he saw of him was when he was getting into a yellow cab over two hours earlier. Emma ran to the taxi stand that was just across from the bus drop off. One by one she approached the drivers until finally she found the one who had picked up Henry. The driver wrote down the address where the boy had been dropped off and handed the paper to Emma. She stared in disbelief. What the hell was going on? The address that he had written down was her own.

Running three stop signs and a red light, Emma made it to her apartment in record time. Thankfully her apartment building was a million times safer than the one where she had lived when she had first met Regina. She skipped the elevator and ran up the 4 flights of stairs, bursting through the door that led to the hallway on the floor of her apartment. She was both relieved and shocked to find a small boy leaned up against her door and sound asleep. She swallowed hard as she approached him.

"Hey kid. Wake up." She nudged his foot with her shoe. A sleepy 10 year old slowly woke up and gazed up at her with familiar eyes. "Are you Emma Swan?" He yawned as he spoke and stood up. "Yeah, kid what are you doing here?" He nodded matter-of-factly, "I'm Henry. I'm your son."

All thought and reason disappeared from Emma's thoughts as her mind went blank. She stopped breathing for a moment and remained speechless as she opened her door and walked in, Henry trailing close behind her.

"Wait here." She finally spoke, then turned and fled into the bathroom, quickly closing the door behind her. 'Her son? How was that even possible?' Chaotic thoughts ran rampant through her mind. How could this be her son? How could this be Regina's son? How could Regina be the one who adopted Emma's son? This whole situation was insane. She had to get this kid back to his mother. Someone had to explain this insanity to her and the only person she knew who had the answers was Regina Mills. She splashed some water on her face and combed her fingers through her long hair. Staring at herself in the mirror for a moment, Emma wondered when exactly she had lost her mind?

"I want you to come back to Storybrooke with me." Henry announced when she walked out of the bathroom. "Don't worry kid, I'm taking you back. And on the way there you're going to tell me why you ran away." Henry narrowed his eyes suspiciously. That was way too easy. He had expected some kind of argument or resistance. But instead Emma acted as if she were almost expecting him. "My mom is an Evil Queen and you have to be the hero and save the citizens of Storybrooke." Emma rolled her eyes as she picked up her keys and motioned Henry out the door and towards her car. ""Look kid, I have a, what you might call a 'super power'. I can tell when folks are lying. And while I think you believe what you're saying. I'm seriously doubting that Regina Mills is an Evil Queen."

Henry froze and glanced at Emma as she pulled away from the curb. "How do you know my mom's name? I never told you." Emma sighed as she headed onto the freeway and the long drive back to Storybrooke. "Look kid, I was in Storybrooke. I met your mom. She's really worried about you." "What were you doing in Storybrooke? Did you know about me? Were you looking for me?" His face was hopeful and Emma knew the wrong answer would crush him.

"I had heard of Storybrooke a long time ago and just had a feeling that it was someplace I wanted to visit. And coincidently you came looking for me the same day that I went looking for Storybrooke." Henry nodded with satisfaction. He believed that even though Emma didn't realize it, she was searching for her son. "So you met my mom?" His feet kicked nervously underneath the dashboard as he spoke. "Was she really mad?" "No." Emma shook her head. "She was really worried." Henry nodded as he gazed out of the window. "She has everyone fooled. They don't know that she's the Evil Queen. I'm the only one who knows and that's why I had to find you. So that you could save everyone."

Emma sighed heavily and continued to drive. She wasn't sure where this kid got his imagination from. She had never been one to believe in fairytales. Emma had been forced to keep her feet on solid ground since she was a kid. No time for Evil Queens and Saviors to the rescue. This was the real world. And in the real world lovers left you pregnant and set you up to go to jail. And people that you fell in love with didn't always love you back and live happily ever after.

They drove through the day and arrived back in Storybrooke just as the sun was setting. Regina heard the car pull up out front and had the front door of her house open before they were down the walkway. "Henry! Where have you been?" Her face was red from endless tears and her voice cracked with emotion as she wrapped the boy in her arms. "I went to find my real mother." The boy exclaimed as he pushed away ran into the house. The Mayor froze as her face twisted into an angry mask. Was this a trick? Did Emma actually take Henry? She turned to look back at the blonde with eyes on fire. "You're Henry's birthmother?"

Emma's eyes returned the same burning rage as they glared at Regina. "Yes. And I want to know how you ended up with my son? Was the whole thing we had in Boston a complete set up from the beginning?" The beauty of Regina's face contorted into a slow, seething rage. "I have no idea what you're talking about. But I do know that you show up here the same day my son went missing. Hardly a coincidence." "Don't play games with me Regina. You obviously got your Storybrooke memory back and found your way home. So don't try to convince me that once you got back, you conveniently forgot about Boston. Is that why you were there? To make sure that I followed through with the adoption? Was everything else just a joke?"

The woman was obviously crazy. It was such good fortune that she had gotten Henry away from an insane mother. Regina choked back the flood of confusing and conflicting emotions that raced through her senses. "Get out of my town Miss Swan. And stay the hell away from my son. You have no idea what I'm capable of." With a quick turn on her heels, the Mayor marched back into her house and slammed the door. Emma clinched her fists and fought back her own tears of frustration. She wasn't going anywhere. Even Neal had not deceived her the way that Regina had. But then she had never been in love with Neal the way that she was with Regina.


	15. Fate is a Formidable Foe

Regina burned with frustration as she tried to talk to her son. What had prompted him to run off to Boston? How had he ended up with Emma Swan? It had been a closed adoption; no one should have access to that information… well at least not a 10-year-old little boy.

_"__I told her that you're the Evil Queen and that she has to save the town_." Henry's voice was childish and determined.

"_Henry you really hurt me when you say things like that_." Regina chastised him, but did not try to stop him as he ran up the stairs to his room. How could this child know anything? It was impossible that he could have any clue about the truth of who Regina Mills really was. She immediately called Sydney Glass. "_Everything_." She emphasized on the phone. "_I want to know everything there is to know about Emma Swan._" She hung up without waiting for a confirmation. Sydney was her puppet. He would do exactly as she asked him to do without hesitation.

She clenched her jaw as she thought about her next move. In a matter of 24 hours this woman had turned her life upside down. And suddenly it hit her. '_Gold_!' He had to know something. He was such a snake. She called up the stairs towards Henry. "_I'll be back very shortly. Do not leave this house_." There was no response and Regina called again. "_Henry_?" She climbed the stairs and opened the door to his room.

_"__I heard you._" He quickly responded, making an effort to hide an oversized book. Regina sighed heavily. She just didn't understand why Henry had turned on her like this. If there was one person in the world that she loved more than her own life, it was her son. She had always done her best to care and provide for him. Where could he have possibly gotten his information?

She walked over and took hold of the book he had been trying to hide. "**Once Upon A Time**." Was embossed in large gold letters across the cover. Opening the book, Regina was horrified to see the drawings and stories that revealed the past lives of all of those in Storybrooke. She slammed the book shut and swallowed back her anger, speaking to Henry in a controlled voice.

"_Where did you get this book_?" Henry looked away defiantly. "_Henry, answer me. Who gave this to you_?" "_Mary Margaret._" The boy responded with his own frustration. "S_he thinks it's just a storybook. But I know that it is the truth about everyone here_."

Regina sat down on the bed and took hold of Henry's chin, turning his face towards her. "_Henry, these are just fairytales. And I am not the Evil Queen. I am your mother and I love you very much_." He refused to meet her eyes and finally she stood and walked to the door, taking the book with her. "_Stay here, please. When I get back I'll fix dinner_." Henry lay back on his bed with his arms folded across his chest. "_You don't fool me_." He whispered under his breath after Regina had left the room. He couldn't explain how he knew the truth, Regina had never been unkind to him, but something just wasn't right in Storybrooke and he knew it. He smiled when he thought about Emma. She would fix everything.

The Mayor's car sped down the main street of Storybrooke. She traded her car in every two years; it was always for the same sleek, black Mercedes with updated features. She seldom got to test the speed of the car, though she frequently had the urge in her mind to push though the boundaries of Storybrooke and explore the world beyond. This town suffocated her sometimes. The joke really had been on her. Casting a curse that trapped her in a town with everyone she hated was not a well thought out plan. She pulled up in front of Gold's shop and jumped out, slamming her door of her car and exhaling sharply. Without doubt she knew that Gold was behind all of this. She didn't know how, but she knew he had somehow manipulated this situation. Before she reached the front door of the shop her cell phone rang, it was Sydney. It hadn't taken him long to find out about Emma Swan. The power of the internet pretty much made everyone an open book.

"_What is it Sydney, I don't have all day_." "_Madam Mayor, seems our new visitor is a jailbird. She spent some time in jail in Phoenix when she was eighteen, then made her way back to Boston where she had an illegitimate child. No sign of the father. Since then she's made her way across the country working in different areas of law enforcement. Most recently as a bail bondsman_." Regina rolled her eyes. None of this was useful information. She could exploit the whole jail thing, but that wasn't really enough to sabotage the woman for long. "_Oh and there was one other interesting piece of history. Seems she's an orphan. She was found in the woods as a baby, not far from Storybrooke._" Regina froze. Found in the woods near Storybrooke? No, it wasn't possible. "_When_?" Regina demanded to know. "_When was she found Sydney_?"

"_She's twenty eight. She was found twenty-eight years ago._" The Mayor swore under her breath and hung up the phone without a word of thanks or acknowledgment to the Newspaper editor. Her jaw clenched as a whirlwind of thoughts raged in her mind.

Regina burst into Gold's shop and slammed the door behind her. Mr. Gold looked up from behind the counter and smirked. It gave him great pleasure to know that she was obviously agitated about something. "_How can I help you Madam Mayor?_" She wanted to slap the smirk off of his face. "_We have a new visitor in town Gold. Imagine that. A woman by the name of Emma Swan who just happens to be Henry's birth mother and coincidently was an orphan, found in the woods not far from here as a baby_." Gold strained to hide the grin that threatened to take hold of his lips. He loved it when pieces of his plans fell into place. "_Well that is a coincidence, isn't is Madam Mayor?_" "_Stop it_." Regina's voice rose to a high octave. "_Don't lie to me. Don't' try and convince me that you didn't know. You set this up from the beginning didn't you? You knew who his birth mother was_."

"_And who is she_?" Gold quirked his head to the side and asked his question in a singsong voice. The Mayor's eyes narrowed as she glared at him. He knew the truth about everything. She would bet money on that. "_Don't mess with me Gold. __Henry's mother was found as a baby on a very significant day. On the day this town…"_

_"This town, what_?" Gold asked. The question was taunting.

"_Play dumb all you want you little imp. You should know whom you're dealing with by now. I sacrificed everything to build this life and nothing will tear me away from my revenge_. "

"_Not even love_?" Gold's question was odd and caught Regina off guard. "_What the hell are you talking about?_"

"_Nothing_." He smirked. "_Though fate is a very formidable foe_." Gold curled his lip into an evil smile. He liked this game. Regina was almost an equal when it came to gamesmanship; she kept him on his toes, though he was always one step ahead of her.

The Mayor turned on her heels and left the shop, slamming the door behind her. She knew exactly who Emma Swan was and she knew what she had to do to stop her.


	16. Deja Vu

Emma stood at the window of her room on the second floor of Granny's Bed and Breakfast. She watched Regina exit Gold's shop and felt lost in time, remembering once when she had stood on the balcony of their hotel room in Boston and watched the brunette on the walkway below. She had walked with a regality that had captivated the eighteen year old. Regina had suddenly looked up and It had been the moment that Emma knew she was in love with a profound need that she had never felt before. When Regina had returned to their room Emma had gone to her, hugged her and held her just to feel the closeness of their bodies. She had no doubt that Regina had felt it too. They had stood that way for several moments, eyes closed, the experience of a perfect moment when there were no words, only a connection of two hearts beating in sync.

And now as she watched Regina walk to her car, she could almost smell the softness of the perfume that lingered on her skin that day. Unexpectedly Regina stopped and looked up, catching Emma's gaze as her breath caught in her throat. Both women stood suspended feeling the same undeniable connection they had experienced all of those years ago. Emma had a memory of that moment, for Regina is was only a vague sense of _deja vu_.

Instead of continuing to her car, Regina headed towards Granny's, making her way past the surprised look of the older woman who stood behind the reception desk and climbing the stairs towards the room where Emma was staying. Regina stopped for a moment, touching the wall, the clean, smooth surface so different from the dirty, cracked plaster walls that were decaying along the stairs the time she had made her way up to Emma's first apartment. A look of confusion clouded her eyes. Where had that thought come from? Since the blonde's arrival, Regina had been having the most bizarre thoughts. Memories that were not her own and yet felt unexplainably familiar. None of this made sense. Was it part of Gold's game? She was now confidant of who Emma was. The Savior. The one who would break the curse. Regina didn't know exactly how that would be accomplished or when, but she would use everything within her power to make sure that Emma Swan did not fulfill her end of the bargain.

As if she suddenly snapped out of a trance Regina looked around and found herself on the stairs in Granny's. This was insane. She needed to stop Emma and she wasn't going to do it simply by asking her '_pretty please'_ to leave town. She needed to do a little stronger convincing than that. She turned on her heels and headed back down the stairs. She had an idea. She just needed one little bit of magic to make it work. She quickly ran through the options in her head for obtaining the magic she needed. Finally the solution hit her. She would need Jefferson to help her retrieve a particular item, he would resist ofcourse and she would have to come up with some way to manipulate him… again. The Mayor smirked, they were all so easy to control. Maybe that was why Emma Swan fascinated her? Emma wasn't a pushover and she didn't bend at the knee for royalty. Regina smiled, but she would soon win this battle of wills.

Emma was confused. She had watched Regina come in the building and then leave without paying her a visit. What had she done? This was insane, Emma was a woman of action and did not plan to sit around this Podunk town and wait for Regina to make a move. She wanted to know how the hell the Mayor had ended up with her kid. Pulling on her boots and grabbing her red leather jacket, the blonde made her way down the stairs, stopping at the reception desk. "_Didn't the Mayor just come in here? What did she want?_" Granny gave Emma a quizzical look, but answered. "_Don't know what she wanted_. _Walked right past me, headed up the stairs, stopped half way like she had forgot something and then a minute later turned and headed back out. Didn't say a word_." Emma's brow twisted in confusion and then she nodded and left. Maybe Regina was just a crazy woman? She needed answers and figured that the Diner would be the best place to listen to the locals while she had some coffee.

Ruby was most forthcoming about the Mayor. It was obvious that the redhead was infatuated with Emma and so she spoke freely, even siting down across the booth and telling everything she knew about when Regina adopted Henry. She had disappeared, no one knew where she was and then suddenly she was back with a baby in tow. Ruby wasn't sure how long she'd been gone, time seemed to just drag on in Storybrooke, but the Mayor had acted pretty confused at first. She'd even had an accident and run her car into the 'Welcome to Storybrooke' sign, with the baby in the backseat. But then everything just settled back to the way it had always been. Emma nodded and made a decision. She wasn't leaving until she knew what was going on with Regina and if Henry was ok.

Henry smiled as he looked out his bedroom window and saw the hands on the tower clock move for the first time since he could remember. Emma was going to stay and fix everything. He didn't know exactly what that meant, or what it would look like when that happened, but he trusted that he would recognize it when things were as they should be. Regina was in the kitchen and Henry could smell apples baking. He hated apples. Always had. Seemed that everything his mother baked had apples in it. He wasn't prepared to see Emma's yellow VW pull up in front of the house. A wide grin spread across his face as he jumped up and ran down the stairs. He had the front door open before she had even reached the porch. "Hey kid." The blonde gave a sincere smile. "_Emma, I knew you'd stay._" The boy wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. She instinctively hugged him back. This was her son and though that idea still felt a bit foreign to her, she liked it.


	17. An Electrical Wire in a Puddle of Water

"_What are you doing here?"_ The sound of Regina's voice broke the moment between Henry and Emma causing them both to quickly pull away from each other as if they had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. " _Henry go to your room, please._" Her request left little room for question as the boy ran past her and up the stairs. "_And why are you still here?"_ Regina's glare at Emma was accusatory.

"_Because I still don't have answers from you Madam Mayor_." Regina looked around; she did not want to have this conversation on her porch. "_Come in."_ She reluctantly stepped aside and waved for Emma to enter. The Mayor closed the door and led the way for Emma to follow her into the kitchen. "_So what is it you feel the need to say Miss Swan. Why are you still here?"_ She asked Emma as she leaned over to pull the Apple turnover from the oven. The smell was intoxicating. Emma loved apples. "_I didn't know you baked_." Regina gave a forced smile in response. "_I'm sure there are many things about me that you don't know Miss Swan_."

"_Evidently._" Emma returned the same insincere smile. How could she have the urge to kiss Regina… and slap her at the same time?

It was obvious that Emma was not going to leave of her own accord. She was going to stay and ruin everything that Regina had created. A war raged inside of the Mayor's head. She just wanted things to stay as they were. For twenty-eight years it had been perfect… well almost perfect. She had not found her true love, but she had Henry and that was enough for her to claim that the curse had been a success. He was the one ray of light in the darkness that had always been Regina's world. She could not allow that to be stolen from her. Regina studied Emma's face for a moment; it was as if she had always known her. Always known that this moment would come and that she would be standing here having to make this decision. It was much harder than she had ever thought it would be. She had after all ripped the heart from her father's chest to accomplish her goals, so why would she hesitate to do what she needed with a stranger to protect what she had worked so hard for.

Regina slipped the Apple Turnover onto a plate and poured Emma a cup of coffee. Then sat both in front of the blonde.

_"I think you'll enjoy this. It's my own special recipe. No reason why we can't talk as two rational thinking adults."_

Emma looked surprised but had no real reason to suspect Regina of malice as the apple turnover and coffee were set down in front of her. She furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes. "_Why are you being nice to me_? Weren't you just threatening me if I didn't get the hell out of town?" Regina smiled a tolerant smile and was about to give false words of encouragement. But as her eyes met Emma's she stopped and fell deep into an emotion that she had not felt in many years. And suddenly it hit her… she was attracted to Emma. The realization slapped her like an open palm across the face. This was just too strange for words. Regina had not been attracted to anyone since she was a girl with her idealistic young and stupid love. But this was like a tide wave that washed over her and left her momentarily speechless. Emma felt the energy that crackled between them like a downed electrical wire in a puddle of water. Both women resisted the urge to touch and give in to something that both surprised and enticed them. For Emma it was a frustrated love that had only grown stronger over the years. For Regina it was like nothing she could remember ever feeling.

The Mayor pulled back and cleared her throat. Where the hell had THAT come from? She smoothed out the imaginary wrinkles in her pants and tried to gain some control over the rampant and chaotic thoughts running around her head. Emma took a sip of the coffee and averted her eyes from Regina's. Despite the crazy situation there was obviously something still between them.

_"I don't want games Regina. I want to know how the hell you ended up with my son?_" Emma was trying to get her thoughts back on track and not be swayed by the obvious chemistry that hung thickly between them. Emma's words snapped Regina back to the present moment and her current goal. Getting rid of Emma Swan. "_You obviously think there is some dubious scheme involved here Miss Swan. I'm not sure where you would get such an idea._" Regina forced herself to suppress the truth of the matter. "_But I simply adopted a child. I adopted MY son. A closed adoption if I recall. Which means that you have no right to be here."_ "_And you really don't remember coming to Boston when I was pregnant? You don't remember…. US_?"

_"US_?" Regina's lip twisted into a snarl. "_I don't know what 'us', you're referring to, but I can promise you that I have never been to Boston_."

Emma sighed and swallowed back the last bit of hope, resigning herself to the fact that Regina really didn't remember. The Mayor was not being totally honest about something, of that she was sure. But Emma did believe that Regina held no memories of Boston. Silence lingered between them, thick and heavy, both searching for words. Without thought, Emma reached for the fork and was about to take a bite of the Apple turnover, when Henry came running into the room.

"_Don't eat that_." He yelled, pulling the plate out of Emma's reach. "_Henry!_" Regina responded in shock. "_What has gotten in to you_?" The Mayor went to pull the plate from Henry's hands and he jumped back out of her reach. "_All right kid, enough. Give me the plate_." Emma wiggled her fingers and held her hand out. _"No. You can't eat this_." Henry's face was terrified. "_It's poison_." "_Henry_!" Regina spoke his name in a loud and shocked voice. "_Stop this right now! Give Emma her plate and go to your room._" "_No_." Henry responded defiantly. "_I'll show you._" He started to take a bite when Regina lunged towards him and snatched the plate and turnover from him. "_That is quite enough young man. Go to your room right now_." "_Prove it. You take a bite_." Henry said to his mother as he glared at her.

Emma was in shock over the whole scenario. She hated to say it, but this kid was a spoiled brat. Looking around at the luxury that he had grown up with, it was no wonder. Regina had probably given him everything he ever wanted and this was the result. "_Henry, stop this_." Emma stood and placed her hands on Henry's shoulders. "_You're being mean and disrespectful towards your mother. It's an apple turnover for Christ's sake_." The boy looked up at Emma with disappointment bringing tears to his eyes. Emma felt bad. She knew that he believed what he was saying, she just didn't understand what was making him say these things. "_Just apologize kid and then we can all get on with our day._" "_No_." He shook his head. "_I know you don't believe me._"

Regina's face masked her rage. She would not be bullied into something, even by her own son. She pulled out the drawer for her trash compacter and dumped the turnover into the trash, dropping the plate into the sink and then turned to Henry. "_I don't know what's gotten in to you lately, but I did not raise you to be so rude and disrespectful. You're 10 years old, Henry. You don't get to call the shots. Now go to you room until dinner_."

Emma shrugged. "_She's right kid. That was a bit over the top_." Henry gave a final defeated glance towards Emma and then turned and left the kitchen. Both women watched their son leave the room in defeat and the pain reflected evenly between them.

"_I should go_." Emma finally spoke, breaking the suffocating silence between them. This was crazy. For whatever reason, Regina didn't remember their time in Boston. Emma believed that to be the truth. There was no conspiracy, just a crazy mixed up situation with Emma Swan standing on the outside, as usual. She picked up her jacket and looked at Regina, avoiding direct eye contact. "_I'm sorry. I don't know what's going on here. But I do know that it's probably better for Henry if I leave_."

"_Well, it seems we finally agree on something Miss Swan_." Regina did not walk Emma to the door, but she felt her absence the minute she was gone. A profound longing for something she did not know she was missing until that moment.


End file.
